The Christmas Elf
by PeppermintPatty09
Summary: Struggling to make ends meet and give her daughter the Christmas she deserves, Quinn Fabray takes the job as personal driver and assistant to Broadway Queen and A-list star, Rachel Berry. Will love blossom under the twinkling lights of New York, or will they burn out before they even ignite. This story is A/U, with Faberry and Beth as the main characters.
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Christmas Elf

Rating: M for Mature audiences.

Fandom: Glee

Pairings/Characters: Beth, Quinn/Rachel, Santana/Brittany and Kurt/Blaine

Genre: Romance and Family

Summary: Struggling to make ends meet and give her daughter the Christmas she deserves, Quinn Fabray take the job as personal driver and assistant to Broadway Queen and A-list star, Rachel Berry. Will love blossom under the twinkling light of New York, or will they burn out before they even ignite. This story is A/U, with Faberry and Beth as the main characters.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot belong to the respective author. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**The Christmas Elf**

Quinn Fabray looked through Saturday's paper, red pen firmly tucked in between fingers, eyes moving agilely through the Jobs Classified section. She had narrowed her search by crossing off, with her trusty red pen, all night and evening jobs. She couldn't work at night not when she had a five year old waiting for her, and no money for a babysitter. She had let her babysitter, Tina, go when her daughter, started kindergarten. Though, she missed her daughter in the days, she couldn't help but be relieved at the money she save by letting Tina go.

She paid Tina whatever she earned in tips for that day; which averaged out to about thirty to forty dollars by working twelve to eight at Harry's Diner. With minimum wage being 7.25 an hour in New York and her working eight, or sometimes nine hours a day, she made – on a good month – twelve hundred. After rent, utilities and food, she was lucky to have twenty dollars in her pocket. That left over twenty was for her to usually treat Beth to either McDonalds or a toy. By not giving Tina her tips, she had a little extra money in her pocket to buy Beth and her new jackets from a thrift shop, shoes, some winter outfits and heavier blankets for the upcoming winter season, knowing she won't be using the heater all that much. That was until Mr. Harry announced he was retiring, sold that diner, and everyone was out of the job by the end of November – just before the holidays started. Fan – fucking – tastic.

Rent and utilities were paid for the month of December, but beyond that, she didn't know. She had thirty dollars to her name, and that was for milk, bread, peanut butter, romen noodles and cheese. They would be living off of peanut butter sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches and romen noodles for the rest of the month. She had to find a job as soon as possible. She hoped to get lucky with the holiday season coming. She knew that lots of stores hired seasonal positions, sometimes letting them stay on if they're good enough.

Returning back to the task at hand, Quinn crossed out all the porn, sex-caller and stripper ads. Along with any weird, questionable ads, anything needing a college degree or experience beyond what she had. That left her with a pretty good size selection for jobs to look at.

Pen posed at the newspaper, she began to read off the available jobs.

"Dog Walker," she murmured, rolling her eyes at the bold and capital 'MUST LOVE DOGS'. "Dog walker needed. Pet-sitter/walker experience desired, but not needed. Job entitles walking our two year old greyhound, Lulu and our eight month old Newfoundland, Sasha. Looking for 30min/an hour walks. 20 dollars/per day." Sighing, she crossed of the dog walking job offer. To be honest, she had made up her mind when she saw greyhound and Newfoundland. There was no way in hell she was going to be walking a horse-like dog and a bear-like dog down the streets of Manhattan.

Moving on she read the next on her list. "Host/Hostess needed for a popular bar/night…nope," she said, popping the 'p' and drawling a big red X on the ad. She had quickly found out those were hidden strip joints.

For the next hour, she went through the list of job ads, leaving her with two available options: A Christmas Elf worker at Macy's and a dishwasher at Applebee's. Either job will work for her. Both paid more than minimum wage and gave benefits – something she never had before. But out of the two, she really hoped to get the dishwasher job. It was for full-time, offering a permanent position, benefits and eight dollars an hour. Working as an elf at Macy would just be a constant reminder that Christmas was around the corner, and she was unable, yet again, to give her daughter the Christmas again. Plus, the job was only for a month. She needed something a little longer.

Beth was five now. She understood and now wanted gifts her friends at school wanted. Before her little girl was content with small one dollar gifts and a little chocolate, but now, she wanted a Disney Princess Dollhouse, playdoh, the new Barbie and a bike to ride while they went to the park every Sunday. It breaks her heart that she can't give her daughter what she wants. She wonders if she ever will be able to.

Wiping away her fallen tears, Quinn reached for the phone, first dialing the number for Applebee's. She wanted to get a chance at that job as soon as possible.

"Hi, thank you for calling Applebee's. How may I help you?" a cheery, young female voice for the other line asked.

"Hi, I'm calling for the dishwasher job ad," Quinn started only to be cut off by the hostess.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but the job offer is no longer available," the girl said in a faux apologetic voice. "Our manger position is available, though. Are you interested in that?"

Quinn sighed, her hopes dashed. "No, thank you. Have a nice day." Ending the call, she found the number for the elf position. It didn't take long for someone to answer. "Hi, I'm calling for the elf position. I was wondering if the job is still available."

"Can you stand for long hours?" A bored, deep male voice asked.

"Yes," Quinn said hesitantly. She had never had a job interview over the phone.

"Are you good around children?"

"Yes, I am. I have a five year old daughter."

"Can you work from the hour's nine to three?"

Quinn couldn't help but get excited. "Yes, sir," she answered a little too enthusiastic.

"You start Monday, December third, at nine. The day after tomorrow. Arrive an hour early so you have time to stop by H.R. Have a nice day."

Quinn squealed when she hung up. She had a job – a good job at that. It wasn't one she had wanted, however, it will do. The job at Macy's paid nine dollars an hour, working seven days a week, benefits and store discount. The job was only for the month; plenty time to find another job, pay rent and utilities, groceries and, hopefully, give Beth the Christmas she wants to give her daughter.

TBC?

* * *

Information for this story:

I don't know how you go about getting a job as an elf, but my friend worked for one when she was in high school, and she told me this was how they hired her. They were in dire need of a new elf.

Yes, the chapters from here on out will be longer. They'll be around 2000 words to more.

Updates should come, hopefully, a couple of times a week, but I don't have an actual schedule. And this is a work-in-progress with only a couple of chapters written ahead of time. I'll shoot for one update a week, making the second a treat. I do want to finish this by the New Year.

There won't be that much angst. I only have one or two incidents where there is angst, and it isn't that heart wrenching to where you want to pull your beating heart out. I don't really have the heart to write heavy angst for a Christmas story. It's going to be short and sweet, just like those cheesy Hallmark/Lifetime Christmas movies. Next time though, beware.

I don't really have an idea how many chapters I plan on writing, but all my story don't go no more than twenty five. Well…I try to plan it that way. They somehow get ahead of me, and I end up with more I imagined.

This is A/U (Alternative Universe), meaning Rachel and Quinn will be OOC (Out Of Character). They have different storylines than what glee created for them. Although, I am using some of their plot points.

In this story I have Quinn at 22. She got pregnant at 16, had Beth by seventeen. Yes, Puck is the father. Rachel – and I tried to change it, but Betty (my muse) just wouldn't let me – is twenty-six going on twenty-seven.

And as always, review. I'd love to hear from you.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: The Christmas Elf

Rating: M for Mature audiences.

Fandom: Glee

Pairings/Characters: Beth, Quinn/Rachel, Santana/Brittany and Kurt/Blaine

Genre: Romance and Family

Summary: Struggling to make ends meet and give her daughter the Christmas she deserves, Quinn Fabray takes the job as personal driver and assistant to Broadway Queen and A-list star, Rachel Berry. Will love blossom under the twinkling lights of New York, or will they burn out before they even ignite. This story is A/U, with Faberry and Beth as the main characters.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot belong to the respective author. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: If I didn't mention it before, this is unbeta. All mistakes are mine. Anyone interested in betaing for me, please PM me.

**The Christmas Elf**

Quinn had been working as an elf at Macy's for two weeks now. After her first day at work, she quickly realized that there was nothing glamorous working as an elf. The job paid well for wearing a cute outfit for only six hours, but other than that, the job was a major joke and nightmare.

There were several Elf positions. She, unfortunately, got the job as the Helper Elf. She had the amazing job of finding out the kids name, see if Santa was ready and give any helpful information Santa may need (if the kid was sick, a little too overweight, rude mom, overprotective mom and the worst, if the kid was going to be a screamer) Then she gets the lucky job of putting the brat on Santa's lap. Yes, most kids were tolerable and sweet, with their cute Christmas outfit, rosy cheeks and sweet smiles; however, kids under three was a guarantee screamer and nightmare. Nothing you could do would convince them to sit on Santa's lap. Some parents wanted the picture no matter what. Those were the worst. Whoever wanted a picture with the jolly man in the red suit grinning, while holding your screaming child, was just plain demented. Then poor Santa and she had to deal with the screaming, crying, kicking and hair pulling kid until the photo taken. Fucking nightmare.

After work she would pick up Beth from the afterschool program, and they would walk home from there. When they arrived home, she would help Beth with her homework; clean up a bit and make dinner. After dinner, she would do their dirty dishes while Beth took her bath. Once Beth was in bed, she would go over the paper, looking at potential jobs. So far she had no luck.

Throwing the paper on the coffee table in frustration, Quinn gripped the ends of her hair, releasing the tension that had built up there as tears of anger, shame and sadness journeyed down the gentle slope of her cheeks.

She would never regret making the decision to have and keep Beth, but sometimes she wondered if she was punishing Beth by not giving her the life she deserved and wanted for her daughter. She couldn't help but think that if she had maybe gave Beth away to the nice family, with the home in the suburbs, luxury German cars, a summer home in the Hamptons and perfect smiles, if Beth's life would have turned out better. Just as fast those thoughts came, they quickly left faster. She wouldn't trade Beth for anything. Maybe it was selfish of her, but she loved and needed her daughter with such a fierceness it often left her breathless. It was those feelings that made her not give up, and dropped out of Yale when her little girl was three because putting food on the table and clothes on her little girls back was more important. She didn't regret one ounce of it, she still doesn't.

Standing, exhaustion evident in the rings around her eyes and the haggard look in her face, Quinn made her way to bed. She had work early morning.

* * *

"I know, Santana, but I just can't do it this year," Quinn said into the phone, picking at her uneaten peanut butter sandwich that she pack for lunch.

Santana Lopez had been her best friend since the young age of six her and her saving grace for as long as she could remember. She had been more so in the last five years. Santana had called to ask if Quinn and Beth would be flying down to their hometown of Lima, Ohio, for Christmas. As much as she wanted to visit the family that took her in when her family threw her out at sixteen, she just couldn't. They had given her and Beth so much already; it would be a cold day in hell for her to take any more from them.

"You know my mom –" Santana started to say, only to be cut off by the proud blond.

"No! I won't do that. And before you say anything, I'm not taking anything from you and Brittany, either. Beth and I will be fine. I saved up enough for a small dinner for us," Quinn said, fighting back the tears as she just lied to her best friend. To be honest, Quinn just planned on going to a couple of food shelters, hoping they were handing out turkeys for the holidays.

"You should be with family during the holidays. You know my mom and dad would love to see Beth. They haven't seen you guys in two years."

"No. I won't take any more from your parents. They already did enough by taking in me when my supposed parents kicked me out. We'll be fine, Santana. I promise to try and make a trip down there this summer," Quinn said, wrapping up her sandwich. She wouldn't throw it away, not when she could save it and eat it for dinner. She couldn't afford to waste food. "I have to go. My break will be over in ten minutes, and I still need to use the restroom. I love you, S. You're a good friend, sister."

"Ditto, bitch," came the snarky reply, but Quinn could hear the smile and love in Santana's voice. "Oh, before you go. Britt and I will be visiting Saturday. We bought a couple of groceries for you."

"San-" Quinn tried to get in, only to be cut off.

"Bye, Bitch." Quinn sighed when she heard the click of Santana hanging up in her ear.

Quinn huffed in annoyance. Her best friends, who struggled just as much as she did, shouldn't be buying her and her daughter food. Santana was a freshman at Harvard Law, planning on going into Family Law. All of Santana's money went into tuition and rent for hers and Brittany's new apartment in Boston. Santana's family wasn't poor; however, they weren't rich, either. Santana's college trust fund only paid for the first four years at Columbia before she went to Harvard as her choice of law school. Santana was up to her neck in student loans and her family had to take a second mortgage on their house to help pay for her schooling. She would just be filled with more guilt if she took more from them.

* * *

Quinn passed Beth a plate of Mac N' Cheese and hot dogs. "How was school today?" Quinn asked, tentatively. Ever since she picked up Beth from school, Beth had been quite and withdrawn. That wasn't like her normal chatty, bright and playful daughter.

"Mommy, what's poor?" Quinn's breath hitched at the question. "Susie Hamilton, from my after school program, said I was poor because my jacket has holes and my shoes aren't shiny like hers. Am I poor?" Quinn heart seized at the innocent question.

"No, baby, you aren't poor," Quinn said honestly. They weren't poor. There were people out there that had less than they had. They had a roof over their heads, clothes on their backs and food in their stomach. It wasn't the fanciest apartment or clothes, and the food was generic, but it worked for them. It kept them off the streets.

"Hey, guess what?" Quinn said a little too cheery. She wanted to change the subject. She knew there will be a day where she would have to explain to Beth why she can't afford the things her friend's family can, but today wasn't that day, she decided.

"What?" Beth mumbled around a bite of sliced hot dog.

"Auntie Anna and Britt are visiting this weekend. I thought maybe we could have pizza and ice cream for dinner that day." She had a coupon that would get her a large pizza half off, and a buy one, get one free coupon for the ice cream.

"Really?!" Beth shouted with a large smile painted on her face. "Can we get peperoni and bacon on it?"

"Whatever you want, baby. Just not anchovies," Quinn grimaced, a shiver of disgust shot up her spine. Anchovies had been a craving for her during her pregnancy with Beth, now the sight or smell of them made her recoil.

"Yes!" Beth fist pumped. "It's going to be so much fun," Beth squealed. "I missed them so much."

Quinn kissed her daughter on her tiny button noise, smiling when Beth giggled and scrunch up her nose. "I missed them, too. Now, get back to your dinner, Princess Beth. I need you healthy and alive."

Beth kissed her mom on the cheek before she returned to her dinner, while Quinn went to clean up their dinner dishes. She put the left overs in a container. They would be used for dinner in a couple of nights and turned on the stove that she used to heat up the room.

"All right, time for bath. Go get ready; I'll be in there soon," Quinn said drying the last dish.

"Okay!" Beth took one last drink of her milk before she dashed off.

When Quinn heard the water running from their moldy, small bathroom, she braced her white knuckle fist on the counter, bowed her head, willing herself not to break down. Beth's question broke her just a little bit more, and only resolved her determination to give her daughter a better Christmas and life.

A woman named Angela came to mind. She was a single mom, also. She had no help from family, the child's father or friends. She worked two jobs, went to school online to get a degree in business and raised a baby all by herself.

She knows she can do that, if only she could find two jobs. It would take away her time from Beth but it was worth it if it gave her daughter a better life than what she was providing now. Then later, when Beth was older, she could return to Yale, or some other college. She's a firm believer that you're never too old to get an education. All you need to have is determination and the passion to learn. She had always wanted to go into editing or journalism. Thinking about her career dreams, it made her think of the half written book she had wrote during her pregnancy to Beth. She had put it in the back burner when Beth was born, never giving it another thought. She thinks she might pull it out from her box of mementos. It wouldn't hurt to have a look at it.

"Mommy!" she heard Beth voice bellow from the bathroom. "I'm done!"

Quinn pushed herself off the counter and made her way to the bathroom, stopping on the way to grab a towel from the small storage closet.

"All right, Miss Fabray, out you goes." Quinn pulled the plug from the drain. "What book have you decided to read, tonight?"

"The Velveteen Rabbit," Beth answered.

Quinn smiled; it was her favorite book as a child. She was happy Beth fell in love with the story that thought young kids that in loving others and vise verse, you become real.

Quinn wrapped the dingy, thread bare towel around Beth's body, carrying her into the living room, on their bed, where she wrapped Beth in blankets to keep her warm.

They lived above a Chinese restaurant that should be condemned. The living room was basically twelve feet by twelve feet with a small living room, closet size bathroom off the living room and a closet that she couldn't even stand in. They slept in the living room since they didn't have any bedrooms. She had a large pull-out couch against one wall, which worked for her and Beth's bed, a makeshift coffee table/dinner table made from crates and a wooden plank, and two dressers against other wall. In one corner, sat an old television hooked up to a VCR player she had got from a thrift shop. The place was a dump with its water stained ceilings, dingy, torn and worn carpet that started out as the color of a light brown, but was now black. She was sure she was paying more rent than what it was worth, too. She didn't complain, though. It was the cheapest she had found at the time. Still is.

Shaking her head to ward off the unpleasant thoughts, Quinn went to the dresser to pull out a pair of pajamas for Beth.

* * *

That night, after reading Beth to sleep and getting ready for bed herself, Quinn fell into bed in an exhausted heap. It wasn't long before her head hit the pillow that Quinn fell asleep, dreaming of a future where her daughter and she were happily living without any worries. In the morning, she would wake, and realize that's all it will ever be. A dream.

TBC

A/N: I decided to try and update every Tuesday and Friday. It would give me time to write between updates. Since I don't have anything going on for me and school not start until mid-January, I have plenty of time to write. See you Tuesday!

o


	3. Chapter 3

Title: The Christmas Elf

Rating: M for Mature audiences.

Fandom: Glee

Pairings/Characters: Beth, Quinn/Rachel, Santana/Brittany and Kurt/Blaine

Genre: Romance and Family

Summary: Struggling to make ends meet and give her daughter the Christmas she deserves, Quinn Fabray takes the job as personal driver and assistant to Broadway Queen and A-list star, Rachel Berry. Will love blossom under the twinkling lights of New York, or will they burn out before they even ignite. This story is A/U, with Faberry and Beth as the main characters.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot belong to the respective author. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: If I didn't mention it before, this is unbeta. All mistakes are mine. Anyone interested in betaing for me, please PM me.

**The Christmas Elf**

Quinn looked around her small, dark, dingy apartment, making sure everything was in order. There wasn't much to clean, and what she cleaned was already so dirty, you couldn't really find a difference in it.

It was Saturday, the fifteen of December, and Santana and Brittany were on their way. They would spend the night, stay midday Sunday, then leave back home to Boston. As much as she loved to see her friends, she hated it when they came down for a visit and stayed with her. She's not going to lie; she's ashamed of her house. Sure it was home to her and Beth, but it was a shitty home. It was one of the many reasons why she never invited anyone over. She had nothing to offer guest when, if they visited. There was never food in the fridge, places to sit and no sort of entertainment. It was a shit hole.

Usually she would go up there and visit her friends in Boston, but since she's saving every penny she makes, she and Beth haven't been able to make a trip. It tears her heart up knowing it's been three months since she last saw them. She had no computer to email or Skype, her phone was as old as the dinosaurs, so any contact with her friends was limited.

Seeing that she had time, she decided to order the pizza so that when Santana and Brittany came they would have something to eat. For something to do, when they were done eating, they could run to the store for the ice cream. After, after she didn't know what they would do.

* * *

"Auntie Annnnaaaa," Beth screamed, jumping to Santana's free hands.

Santana groaned. "Shit, Lil' Q, you weigh a ton," Santana grumbled with a smile.

"Language, Santana," chided Quinn. Quinn turned towards her daughter. "Don't say that word. It's an adult word. Auntie Anna shouldn't be saying that word, either."

Santana shifted Beth on her hip. "Now, now, is that any way to greet mama," Santana tsked.

Quinn laughed, wrapping her arms around Santana and Beth. "You're a dork, but I can't help but love you."

"I love you, too, Lucy Q," Santana said softly in Quinn's ear.

Brittany stood back, letting Quinn, Santana and Beth have their moment. There was a time when she was jealous and bitter towards Quinn. Even though they had all grew up together, it was Santana that Quinn bonded with the most. It was Santana that Quinn ran to when Quinn's father was being an ass and mother too drunk to care about the world around her. It was Santana's shoulder Quinn sobbed on when she confessed that she had drunkenly lost her virginity to Noah Puckerman and three months later when Quinn held a pregnancy stick with two pink lines. It was Santana's house Quinn had moved into when she was kicked out, Santana who coached Quinn during labor and got to cut Beth's cord. And it was Santana that Quinn cries her heartache to when she can't provide Beth with what her little girl needs. So, yes, during that time she was jealous, that was until she realized it was her that Santana came to when Santana needed someone. Yes, Quinn needed Santana, but Santana needed Brittany just as much, if not more.

"Hi, Britt," Quinn greeted, wrapping her arms around the lanky blonde. "You look really good."

"Thank you, Quinn," Brittany smiled perkily. "You look awesome, too."

Quinn scoffed. "I really don't, but thank you."

"Mommy is always pretty," Beth chimed in, looking at Quinn like she hung the moon and the stars. Beth jumped out of Santana's arms into Brittany's. "Hi, Auntie Britt. You do look really pretty."

"Thank you, Lil' B. However, I think you're the prettiest of us all." Brittany kissed Beth's cheek before setting her on the ground.

Brittany bent down to grabbed hers and Santana's bag, along with one of the three paper bags. It was then Quinn noticed that they weren't part of Santana's and Brittany's luggage, but brown paper bags filled with groceries.

"Shut it before I stuff a sock in it," glared Santana knowing Quinn was going to make a fuss over the groceries. "Britt and I had a little bit left of our FAFSA's for the next semester." Santana shrugged like it wasn't a big deal when it was to Quinn.

Quinn sighed. "You need that money. Not now, but maybe later. You shouldn't be spending it on me and Beth when you need it, too."

Santana kissed Quinn's cheek. "You need it more," Santana said over her shoulder as she walked to the kitchen to join her B's.

Quinn rolled her eyes. Although, it annoyed her what Santana had just done, she couldn't help but feel warmth and gratitude towards her friends. There weren't many people out there that had friends like she did, friends that she could call day or night if she was in trouble, or needed someone to talk to. It made her feel blessed.

* * *

"This is so good, mommy," Beth said with her mouth full of a meat-lovers pizza.

Quinn nodded in agreement. The pizza was good. It's been so long since they've been able to enjoy pizza. She was glad she was able to give her daughter a little bit of happiness for the day. She would do anything to see Beth smile.

"How's school Lil'B?" Santana asked, picking up another slice of pizza.

Beth took a sip of her milk. "Good. Susie Hamilton called me poor. Mommy says I'm not."

Santana threw her piece of pizza of her napkin. Her face, once soften with adoration for Beth, now reflect anger and fury. "You tell that little bitch, Susie, that if she ever calls you poor again, you're Auntie Anna is going to go all Lima Heights on her ass."

"Santana!" exclaimed Quinn, mortified at Santana's words. "Don't tell my daughter that. I don't want her to be some bully. And watch your language."

Santana took a deep breath, reigning in her anger for Susie Hamilton and the whole situation. "I'm sorry, Bethy. I shouldn't have used those bad words."

Quinn opened her mouth to tell Santana that wasn't the only thing she needed to apologize for, only to snap it shut. If Santana only apologized for cursing, then that was all she was sorry for. It was fruitless to ask her to apologize for threatening a five year old girl.

"Tell me more about school?" Santana asked, calmly picking up her pizza. "What have been learning?"

For the next hour they all sat around, munched on pizza and talked about what's been going on with them. Santana talked about Harvard, Brittany talked about playing an extra on a hit movie, Beth talked about school, and Quinn told them funny stories about overprotective mothers and screaming children.

When their dinner mess was cleaned, they made their way out to the store for their ice cream and some treats to go with the _Home Alone_ movie Quinn had found at a thrift store. It was a Christmas classic she used to love as a child, and knew Beth would love it, too.

Since Santana bought them food to last a couple of weeks and bought the pizza, she would be able to spend a little at the store.

Before Quinn knew it, they were all huddled in front of her small TV, laughing at to the Christmas classic comedy and snacking on ice cream sundaes, cookies and candy. Quinn couldn't remember that last time she had this much fun without worrying. Looking at her little girl laughing hysterically when Harry and Marv fell into the clever traps set by Kevin, she knew Beth was feeling it too.

* * *

It was around ten when they were able to get Beth to sleep, and finally have some adult time. Santana opened a bottle of three dollar wine, pouring a healthy amount in each glass.

Quinn looked over at her dozing daughter. "Thank you for today. I think it was something both Beth and I needed. It's been a long time since I saw her smile as much."

"There's no need to thank us, Quinn. You know we love you and Beth," Brittany said soothingly, rubbing Quinn's arm reassuringly.

"After the holidays, I'm filing for Government Assistance," Quinn blurted out.

Santana sucked in a deep breath. If Quinn was filing for something she was so adamant about not doing, she knew their situation must be worse than she thought.

"The job market sucks, and working as an elf at Macy's is barely paying the bills around here and that job is ending soon. I have like a week and an half before I'm done there. Thank god I saved up enough to get some of what Beth wanted for Christmas. I got her playdoh, two new Barbie's and some clothes. What she really wanted was that Disney Princess Doll House with all the Princesses. The doll house alone cost about one-forty. That's not including the dolls. Those cost about forty-five. It would only be until I can get on my feet, find a stable job without worrying if the next week I'm going to be fired. Beth it seems needs new clothes every day, and wants more every day she comes home from school. I hate seeing that sad, defeated look in my daughter's eyes when I tell her that her mommy can't get her something she wants. What about when she's older, huh? When she understands what poor is. Yeah, I told her we weren't but we're not that far off. I don't know…all I know is we can't keep living like this." Quinn reached for her glass, chugging it down, reaching to refill it again.

"Quinn, you know how I'm an extra for that new Rachel Berry movie?" Quinn nodded at Brittany's question. "I overheard her talking with some people, and she mentioned that she's looking for a new assistant and driver. We're not close or anything, but I could put a good word in for you, if you want."

Quinn perked up. "Would you? That would be terrific."

"I'm not making any promises, but I could give her your number and put a word in. I need to be in Monday – I'll do it then."

"Thank you, Britt. I'm serious I don't know what I would do without you guys. I have the greatest friends a person can ask for."

Brittany and Santana smiled at each other. It made them both happy to see Quinn happy. Yes, Beth deserved to have happiness in her life, but so did Quinn. After all the trail and tribulations Quinn's been through, it would be nice to see their friend happy and carefree.

* * *

Quinn sighed sadly as she ate her turkey sandwich. It was Monday. Santana and Brittany left back to Boston yesterday around two, leaving Beth and hers Christmas presents since she wouldn't be seeing them until after Christmas. It sadden her that she couldn't get her friends anything for Christmas. She had opened her present and saw that it was a hundred dollar Visa gift card. She would use that extra bit of money to help pay the bills and rent.

Just as she was about to throw away her trash, she felt her phone vibrate.

"Quinn Fabray," Quinn answered.

"Yes, Ms. Fabray, this Rachel Berry's agent."

Quinn stopped breathing; she could feel her blood thumping in her ears. Brittany had called her ear this morning, telling her that she spoke with Rachel Berry and the actress was interested.

"She heard you were interested in taking up the job as her assistant and driver. She would like to request a meeting with you on Friday, three O'clock at Pastis. Would that be suitable for you?"

"Yes," Quinn squeaked. She cleared her throat, taking on a more professional and business voice. "Yes, that would be perfect. Thank you."

Quinn dropped bonelessly on the hard plastic chair. She was still in shocked about what had just happened. To be honest, after a day like today, she had forgotten all about the job. As the cob webs of shock and bewilderment began to clear, she became aware of what just had occurred. Suddenly, she let out a hysterical, belly aching laugh of happiness. She could feel it in her bones. Big, wondrous changes were about to happen to her and Beth's life.

"Oh, baby, we're going to be okay. I can feel it. Changes are coming, Beth. Changes are coming," Quinn whispered in the empty room, wiping away the last of her tears. And for once, in the last five years, they were tears of happiness.

TBC

* * *

A/N: Yay….the next chapter we meet Rachel. If anyone is wondering where Quinn and Beth lives in New York – they live in Harlem. I asked a friend where was a good place for Quinn to live in her situation, and she told me Harlem.

If I haven't said anything I just want to thank everyone for following, the favorites and reviewing my first adventure into Faberry fiction. Next chapter Friday.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I just wanted to apologize for the late update. My mom surprised me with a visit and since then I've been catching up with her. Now that she's on her way to bug my brother, I have time to update. Since I didn't get to update Friday, and this was Friday's update, I'll post another one tomorrow or Thursday. Then I'll post again on Friday night. So that's three updates this week. I swear that's a limit for me.

* * *

Title: The Christmas Elf

Rating: M for Mature audiences.

Fandom: Glee

Pairings/Characters: Beth, Quinn/Rachel, Santana/Brittany and Kurt/Blaine

Genre: Romance and Family

Summary: Struggling to make ends meet and give her daughter the Christmas she deserves, Quinn Fabray takes the job as personal driver and assistant to Broadway Queen and A-list star, Rachel Berry. Will love blossom under the twinkling lights of New York, or will they burn out before they even ignite. This story is A/U, with Faberry and Beth as the main characters.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot belong to the respective author. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: If I didn't mention it before, this is unbeta. All mistakes are mine. Anyone interested in betaing for me, please PM me.

**The Christmas Elf**

Quinn walked up to the famous French bistro, her nerves getting the better of her the closer she got.

She had called Santana after work in a panic on Monday. She still couldn't believe she had an interview with _the_ Rachel Berry. Santana had calmly told her to take several deep, calming breathes. When she was composed and had a better handle of herself, Santana then proceeded to tell her to take her gift card, go to Old Navy, buy a nice suit and treat Beth and her out to a nice dinner. She had refused at first, stating that just because she had a job interview with one of the biggest movie stars in movies right now, doesn't mean she could be careless with her money. Santana had reassured her again, offering to replace any money spent if she didn't get the job, and if she did, she owed Santana a six pack of beer and pizza.

After she had picked up Beth from school on Wednesday, they had taken a taxi to Old Navy. At Old Navy she had bought herself a new pair of charcoal grey dress pants, a black dress shirt and grey ballet flats. She even had enough money to buy Beth two pairs of pants and a shirt. After shopping they had decided to go home and make dinner, instead of going out to eat like they had planned.

As they ate their dinner of lasagna, Quinn told Beth about her potential job. Beth was naturally excited for her mom, asking a lot of questions, squealing when she told Beth that it was a famous person that she would be driving. That night both Fabray girls went to bed with smiles.

On Thursday, walking by a newsstand with a picture of Rachel Berry, she had made the realization that she knew nothing about the happenings that occurred in Rachel Berry's life in the last five years. She was a junior at McKinley when Rachel Berry was coming into her stardom as the next biggest Broadway star since Chita Rivera and Ethel Merman.

The latest news she remembered about Rachel Berry was when the tabloids found out that she was former Broadway star, Shelby Corcoran's, daughter. She didn't know how that panned out since she was dealing with her own problems at the time, and looking at superfluous and frivolous, gossip news rags was not on her agenda. No, she had to deal with telling her high school boyfriend, Sam Evans, that the child she was carrying was not his, but his best friends, securing her spot on the high school hierarchy (that ultimately lead to her fall just as fast as Louis 16th) and hiding her pregnancy from her parents until she was ready to tell them. Of course nothing happened the way she wanted, but it was worth it the minute she held Elizabeth Marie Fabray against her chest, their heartbeats in sync, forever binding them. And since then she hasn't had the time or day to keep up with the latest celebrity gossip.

The day pasted fast, with her looking up everything she can on Rachel Berry. She found quite a bit of information on the star. She read about Rachel Berry's three times Tony award win for playing_ Elphaba_ in _Wicked_. Since leaving the stage four years ago, she had starred in five movies, three of which were Oscar worthy, winning her two Oscars for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. She had also won an Emmy for her small role on Grey's Anatomy.

Quinn read about Rachel's relationship with Broadways leading man, Brody Weston. They had been together for four years, two of which they were engaged. Their engagement was broken when photos popped up of Brody with another woman named, Cassandra July, one of the best chorographers in Broadway. That was close to three years ago. Since then Rachel Berry has been seen with several men and women on her arms, but nothing serious.

By Thursday night, she was confident in her knowledge of Rachel Berry. It still baffled her that she was going to be meeting her high school secret celebrity crush for a potential job.

Now, she was walking up to the French bistro, determined and confident. Her once nervous self was tucked in, and now stood a woman with one goal in mind: Get the job.

* * *

"Here for Rachel Berry," Quinn said. Her face was void of emotion, voice firm and authoritative. She would drop the façade when she would come face to face with Rachel Berry, but until then, she planned on acting aloof.

"Of course," the hostess said. "Ms. Berry arrived five minutes ago, Ms. Fabray. Follow me, please."

Quinn mentally high-fived herself for not showing how stunned she was when the hostess knew her name, but she figured Rachel Berry must have said something. Quinn followed the hostess through the throng on tables until they stopped in front of a table with a window view. There, sitting and looking through the menu, was Rachel Berry in all her tiny, gorgeous self.

The clearing of a throat broke her admiration.

"Ms. Fabray, here for Ms. Berry," the hostess said in a polite tone.

Rachel Berry stood while the hostess pulled out Quinn's seat. It was only until Quinn sat that Rachel Berry took her seat again.

"Your waiter will be with you momentarily. Enjoy your meal," the hostess said, bowing slightly at the waist before she walked away.

Quinn waited for a moment, waiting for Rachel take the lead. But when the other woman just sat and stared at her, Quinn thought she should take the lead. She had to pick up Beth at four-thirty from a play-date. She didn't have any time to spare.

Quinn smiled, holding out her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Berry. I'm Quinn Fabray. Your agent called about wanting to meet for an interview."

Rachel Berry blinked a couple of time. Quinn thought she seemed stunned.

"Oh, yes, it's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, too, Ms. Fabray. And please, call me Rachel." Rachel's soft, dainty hand met with Quinn's strong, feminine hand.

Quinn's breath hitched at the spark she felt shaking Rachel's hand. "Call me Quinn, please," Quinn said after a moment. She released Rachel hand, immediately missing the feeling of warmth it gave her.

"Would you like to order before we start the interview? I'm famished. I usually don't go to non-vegan restaurants, but Pastis is wonderfully delicious. Have you been here?"

Quinn shook her head; still a little confused at the feeling she felt when she had touched Rachel. The hair in the back of her neck stood up, goose bumps tickled her arms and her heart swelled even more and pound harder against her ribs.

"Oh, well, this is one of the best in New York," Rachel smiled. "You're in for a treat."

Quinn smiled, tentatively. She didn't know what was going on with her. She was never this nervous and timid around strangers. She was known for her confident and self-assured attitude, but upon meeting Rachel Berry she was turned into this shy, timid person.

She breathed a sigh of relief when the waiter arrived.

"Welcome to Pastis," the waiter greeted. The waiter was a handsome, young man with dark brown hair, blue eyes and an easy smile. "My name is Alex, and I'll be your waiter for the duration of your stay. Would you like a drink to start your order?"

"I'll just have water with lemon please. No ice," Rachel responded with a kind smile.

"I'll have the same, but with ice," Quinn answered.

The waiter looked up from his pad. "Are you ready to order, or do you need a minute?"

Rachel looked at Quinn for a response. Quinn gave a slight nod. She had only looked at the menu for a minute, but it was enough for her to know what she wanted. She had anticipated the price of the restaurant, so she took some money that was meant for the bills. She would make arrangements to pay them later.

"We're ready," Quinn replied. "I'll have macaroni gratin with bacon."

Alex nodded. "And you, Ms. Berry?"

"I'll have the penne puttanesca and the Crudité but with no goat cheese. Oh, and, can I have a mix green salad with no goat cheese," Rachel said sheepishly. She was a little embarrassed at what she ordered, but, hey, she was hungry.

"I'll be back with your drinks. Your order should take ten to fifteen minutes," Alex told Quinn and Rachel before he walked away to handled their order.

Rachel took a sip of her water that Alex just placed in front of her. "I've never done this before," Rachel choked out nervously. "My agent usually handles all the interviews. The last two people she hired didn't work out too well. I decided to take matters into my own hands. So, if I do this wrong, please just tell me. I see you brought your résumé. May I see it?"

Quinn handed Rachel her portfolio that contained her résumé, recommendation letters, references letters and awards. She had worked for so long, at several jobs that she knew what they would be looking for.

Rachel flipped open the folder, taking a minute to scan it. "You only attended two years of Yale? Did you complete your degree?"

"No, I dropped out for various reasons," Quinn answered truthfully with a firm voice. "I couldn't find a job that paid me well enough to afford tuition, and my daughter needed me. I'm a single mother," Quinn explained, getting it out there now instead of later. She had lost jobs due to her being a being a young, single mother. Of course they wouldn't say those were the reasons, but she knew different when she saw the flicker of disgust or judgment in their eyes.

Rachel shocked eyes met Quinn's. "How old is your daughter? It says here that you're only twenty-two."

"She's five. I had Beth, my daughter, when I was seventeen."

Rachel didn't say anything, she just went back to the folder, looking through it and taking in all the information.

"You're work experience is quite impressive. It seems you've did a little of everything. Have you even been fired?"

"Yes," Quinn sighed. "When I worked as a housekeeper for a woman named Ms. Boudreaux. Her niece was a drug addict and she would steal from Ms. Boudreaux. One day, I caught her. The next day I was accused of stealing Ms. Boudreaux antique pearl earrings that her grandmother had given her. That was the only time."

"And you didn't think about stating your case?"

Quinn shook her head. "What was the point? I was just the housekeeper; my job was to clean her toilet and her cat's litter box. Why would she have believed me over her precious Alice? It would have been for naught."

Rachel closed the folder and sat forward, her elbow resting on the table. "My I be frank with you?"

Quinn swallowed, but nodded.

"Looking through your résumé and all that other crap was just me acting and having a little fun. You got the job when that sweetheart Brittany was singing your praises. The times I've spoken to Brittany were a delight. She's a delightful person. Any friend of Brittany has to be a good, loyal and compassionate person. That's the kind of person I want working for me. Now, I did not know you've had a child. I guess Brittany wanted you to tell me yourself. That doesn't change anything, however. I still would like you to be my assistant and driver."

Quinn gaped in a un-lady like manner. "I – I really got the job," Quinn stuttered in her daze.

"I really need someone I can trust. My last driver, she – well it's complicated. Let's just say it didn't end well. The job is yours if you want it."

"Yes…Yes, I accept your offer. Thank you. You won't regret it."

Rachel laughed. "I have a feeling I won't." Rachel peered over Quinn's shoulder. "Our food is coming. We can eat and hammer out all the details."

For the next hour, Rachel and Quinn ate and discussed Quinn working as Rachel's assistant and driver. The more they spoke the more excited Quinn got. Yes, the job was going to be taxing and at times took her away from Beth, but it would all be worth it in the long run.

Quinn would need to pick up the selected car from the garage about five-thirty in the morning, drive to Starbucks for Rachel's vanilla soy latte or soy latte with an extra shot and then pick Rachel up at Rachel's Upper Westside townhouse. From there Quinn would drive Rachel to the studio. While Rachel was working, Quinn would be running the needed errands Rachel wanted. At eight O'clock, she would pick Rachel up, take Rachel home and drop off the car. The job was taxing but would be worth it in the long run. Rachel gave her Saturday and Sunday's off.

After discussing the job details, they spoke about the salary. By the end, Quinn felt like she was about to faint. She worked for fifteen hours, getting paid eighty dollars an hour. That's…that's life changing. She would be getting close to three hundred-thousand dollars a year. At first she had balked at the idea of getting paid that much. Teachers weren't even paid that much. Rachel, however, assured her it was what her other drivers were paid and some drivers got paid more.

Before Quinn knew it, it was four – ten. She had twenty minutes to pick up Beth. Just as Quinn was about to reach into her pocket for her half of the bill, Rachel had already flagged the waiter down handing him her Amex card. She protested for a full minute to Rachel. Rachel won in the end.

"Do you have a cell? No, you know what. I'll get you an iPhone. I don't want you to use your personal phone for my pleasures. I'll have it for you Monday when you start. Do you have any free time tomorrow? We need to head over to my lawyer's office to sign of papers. It's nothing bad just some contracts. I also need to give you the information for the garage."

"No, I'm free tomorrow." It was perfect, actually. Beth had a birthday party to go to. It was from twelve to four.

"Perfect." Rachel pulled out a business card from her Marc Jacobs bag. "Here's my lawyers card. Just meet me there at one. It shouldn't take more than an hour." Alex came back with Rachel's card.

"Have a nice day, Ms. Berry, Ms. Fabray. Will you be needing me to hail a cab for you?" He asked, pulling out Rachel's chair and then Quinn's.

Rachel smiled. "No, thank you. You have a nice day as well."

Rachel and Quinn walked out of the restaurant. Quinn pulled her coat tighter around her body to ward off the frigid cold. For some reason she didn't want to leave Rachel's company. She had enjoyed talking to Rachel. She chalked it up to finally having another adult to talk to instead of Santana and Brittany.

"Are you going home?" Rachel asked.

"Uhhh, no, I need to pick up my daughter from a play date. It's about five minutes away. I actually should be leaving now."

"Oh, right," Rachel let out a sigh. "Well I'll see you tomorrow, Quinn Fabray. I'm glad you took up my offer to be my assistant and driver. I have a feeling this is the start of a beautiful relationship."

Rachel smiled and Quinn couldn't help but smile and believe too.

TBC

* * *

More Story Information:

There will be NO Finn. Though I think Brody is using Rachel, I do like him more than Finn. So you don't have to worry about Finn in this story.

I know I could have put Finn as Quinn's boyfriend when she got pregnant like the show, but to me she was better paired with Sam. But that doesn't mean I like Sam – especially after last Thursday episode. I don't care for "Bram" and that joke about lesbian bloggers, Jews and Muslims and Brittany eating off the floor made me glad I only tune in to the show when I'm desperate. I won't be doing it again because every time I do, I'm disappointed about the direction it's going in.

Also, Rachel's family history is a little different. You'll find out in the coming chapters, but I just wanted to warn people now instead of later. From here, since we've been introduced to Rachel, you'll hear a little about her life.

And as always, I'd love to hear from you.

Thank you for the review, favorites and follows. I enjoy each and every one.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I know some of you were shocked at how high Quinn was being paid to be a driver and assistant for Rachel, but when I looked up how much a personal driver and assistant to a high profile celebrity gets paid, I found several articles that told me that they can get paid somewhere between one hundred-thousand to three hundred-thousand a year. Some even gets more. I figured since Quinn was working as a driver/assistant to Rachel, her price was reasonable for what I have planned for our Quinnie. I know, I want Quinn's job, too.

Alright time for some mommy!Quinn and Beth time.

* * *

Title: The Christmas Elf

Rating: M for Mature audiences.

Fandom: Glee

Pairings/Characters: Beth, Quinn/Rachel, Santana/Brittany and Kurt/Blaine

Genre: Romance and Family

Summary: Struggling to make ends meet and give her daughter the Christmas she deserves, Quinn Fabray takes the job as personal driver and assistant to Broadway Queen and A-list star, Rachel Berry. Will love blossom under the twinkling lights of New York, or will they burn out before they even ignite. This story is A/U, with Faberry and Beth as the main characters.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot belong to the respective author. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: If I didn't mention it before, this is unbeta. All mistakes are mine. Anyone interested in betaing for me, please PM me.

**The Christmas Elf**

Quinn opened her eyes slowly to the very weak warmth of the first rays of sunlight illuminating the living room. She sighed happily at what the day would bring. She used to dread early mornings. A new day meant another day of struggling, working hard hours and keeping tears of frustration and sadness at bay. A new day meant hell. Now, since she worked for Rachel Berry, a new day meant another chance, a renewal of another day to succeed and another day to be grateful of her blessing. Her job for Rachel meant she didn't have to worry about money. Even if she got fired, she would be given a severance pay for her time working with Rachel.

She had only worked for Rachel one day, but so far she loved the job. She enjoyed the challenge of it, driving around the city running errands and meeting new people. The day she had worked for Rachel had been yesterday – Christmas Eve, so she spent the better part of it helping Rachel shop for her family and friends. She had even got a few extra toys and clothes for Beth since she could afford to do it now. She was tempted to buy a tree, but felt like it was way too late. She made a promise to have one next year for her little girl.

Her spirits have been lifted, her hopes renewed and her soul feeling light. Change was in the air.

Friday night, after Beth was asleep, the dishes and house was cleaned, she made a call to Santana and Brittany with the good news. Naturally, her friends were happy for her, stating she deserved something good in life. For the first time she truly believed she did.

Rolling over, Quinn couldn't help the soft smile that graced her lips. Her beautiful daughter was asleep peacefully beside her, wearing pink and white flannel Hello Kitty pajamas she had surprised her with, her golden brown hair was pulled into a French braid, mouth parted and nose tipped red from the cold. She wasn't biased, but her little girl was beautiful. It marvels her sometimes that this little person carried that deadbeat, low-life's DNA and hers. Beth was made up of all the good parts of her and Puck.

She smiled bitterly at the thought of Beth's father. She didn't like to think of him and the hell he put her through. She knew one day she would have to tell Beth about her father or, as she liked to call her, the sperm donor. She dreaded the day Beth would ask about her father.

Shaking her head to clear the bitter memories, she focused on the now. It was Christmas. A day she didn't think would come for her and Beth. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought she was more excited for this day than Beth. It was the first time, in five years, that she's been able to treat Beth to a Christmas she deserves. Yes, she didn't get all of what Beth wanted, but that would come in time. Right now, she had splurged a little more on buying Beth essentials she would need as gifts, and 'Santa' had gifted her with something she knew her little girl will love.

Looking at Beth's angelic face, she thinks she's the only parent with a kid that loves to sleep. Her little girl's love of sleep came proudly from her mommy. Quinn didn't know when it was the last time she slept more than four hours. If she had to think about it, she knew it was awhile.

As much as she wanted to wake Beth from her slumber, Quinn's motherly instinct kicked in first. Kids needed their sleep. Especially if they slept the night before making sugar Christmas cookies (something Quinn enjoyed as she wrapped presents), sliced apples and carrots for Santa's reindeer and a making a cards for Mrs. Claus and the elves. Quinn was confused at first when Beth told her she wanted to make Mrs. Claus and the elves cards. Her little girl had then looked her straight in the eye, giving her the dreaded 'duh' look and told her that she didn't want them to be alone. It wasn't fair that Santa and the reindeer got all the praises. Her little girl was so thoughtful.

Quinn had the urge to make Rachel a card. Rachel reminded her of one of Santa's elves. She was small and adorable like one, full of mischievous and delightful energy, and loved to help people when needed. Rachel Berry was Quinn's personal Christmas Elf. Rachel didn't know it, but she had saved Quinn and Beth's life. Quinn would forever be grateful to Rachel and the opportunities she had be given.

Done with her ruminations of the day before, she decided to surprise Beth with a Christmas breakfast. It was just going to be them today; she wanted to make the best of it before she headed back to work tomorrow.

Rolling out of bed, Quinn made the short distance to the bathroom to take a quick shower. She peeled off her pajamas that matched Beth's and her underwear. As the water warmed, she went over to the sink and brushed her teeth. Once finished, she made her way into the tub/shower combo.

Ten minutes later, Quinn stepped out of the steamy bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body, hair already done in a ponytail and made her way her dresser. She pulled out a pair of underwear, promising herself that the first thing she would buy herself was underwear without holes and the elastic worn. As she pulled out a gray cotton bra that was a size too small for her breast, she made the same promise. She dressed herself in her old Cheerios sweats and a white thermal long-sleeve shirt. Walking back over to the bed, she grabbed her Hello Kitty sleepers Beth had insisted they buy, pulling them on.

In the shower, she had decided to make pancakes, eggs and bacon for breakfast. She knew once she put the bacon on to fry, Beth would wake up, sniffling the fried pork out. It was just more evidence that Beth was hers and hers alone.

Just as Quinn suspected, Beth woke up, stomach grumbling and eyes lit up at the amount of presents stacked against the wall under the window. It made her heart swell at the bright, excited look in her daughter's eyes.

"It's Christmas, Mommy!" Beth exclaimed. "And I got lots of presents. Can I open them? Is it time?"

"Hold on, Princess. Let's eat first then open up the gifts. I made a feast here." Quinn looked at the small counter. A plate held six pancakes, another held strips of bacon and the final plate held eggs and toast. It wasn't a lot for some families, but for her and Beth it was a feast. They couldn't afford to eat like this. Now, with the help of Rachel, they can. Just like she had with the presents, she spent money meant for bills at the beginning of January, on food. She got paid weekly by Rachel, and one check was more than she made in a month at Harry's, or any other job she had.

"You made all that?" Beth questioned in awe.

"Yup," Quinn said, popping the 'p'. "Go wash up, and I'll get everything ready. I'll even leave the dishes until after we open gifts."

Beth squealed. She ran up, threw her arms around her mom's waist. "Thank you, mommy," Beth said. Twin topaz eyes met. "This is the best day, ever. And you're the greatest mommy in the whole universe."

Quinn's eyes watered a bit at Beth's declaration. "You're the greatest daughter any mommy can ask for."

Beth smirked. As much as Quinn didn't want to be reminded of Puck, Beth's smirked rivaled his. "Oh, I know." She also inherited Puck's cockiness, apparently. As far Quinn knows that's the last of Puck in Beth. Well, DNA, too. She wasn't even sure Beth had that in her.

Quinn let out a bark of laugh when Beth's wiggled her eyebrows. That simple action reminded her of high school Santana. "Go wash up, stinker." Quinn playfully swatted Beth's behind.

* * *

"How about you open Auntie Anna and Britt's gift first? Then abuela Maribel and abuelo Miguel sent you some gifts. We'll call them later today to thank them." Quinn handed Beth the three gifts and envelope that contained Santana and Brittany's gift card.

It took Beth all of three minutes to open up her gifts from the Lopez family. Beth had received a thirty dollar gift from her aunties, and her grandparents gave her an art kit, a much needed winter coat and a _Disney Candyland_ broad game. They made plans to play it sometime today over hot chocolate and leftover cookies.

Next, Quinn handed Beth the gifts from her, she had always left gifts from Santa last.

Beth looked at all of her gifts from her mom with astonished eyes. "Mommy, you got me a lot of presents. Super more than when I was little."

Quinn smiled, but didn't say anything. What was she supposed to say? Sorry baby, mommy didn't have money for your Christmas present because rent was due. Or sorry baby, it was either a roof over our heads, or your gift? Sadly, your gift didn't make the cut. Yeah, she didn't think so. Keeping her mouth shut was wiser.

From Quinn, Beth got four new outfits, two_ Barbie's_, playdoh, a _Crayola Cinderella_ glow board, a make your own bracelet/necklace kit and three sweaters. She didn't spend more than twenty dollars on any toys and most of Beth's clothes were on clearance. Altogether she had spent no more than eighty dollars. Eighty dollars for them was half of the electricity bill. It was worth it, as she always says.

"You have one more left," Quinn said in a strangled voice as she reached over to grab the golden wrapped present."

"Who is it from?" Beth asked a little breathless. She had gotten so much this year. It was starting to get hard keeping track of what she got.

"It's from Santa. Last night, while we ate cookies and drank milk, he told me he got you something special for being an exceptional good girl this year. He said he's very proud of you."

Beth's body started to vibrate with anticipation and excitement. "May I have my gift now?"

The minute Quinn handed Beth the present, Beth tore through it.

"Oh my, Gosh!" Beth screamed. She pulled out two DVD's. In her tiny hands were the newest Cinderella and Brave DVD. Looking down she saw a DVD player. "He got me _Cinderella_ and _Brave_! Can we watch them, please? Please, please, please. I'll be the bestest daughter eva. I'll even eat all my vegetables. Please, mommy. Please." Beth pouted, giving Quinn her best puppy look, fake tears and all.

"Fine!" Quinn threw her hands up in mock surrender. "Let's clean up this mess, and then we'll pop some popcorn, fix double chocolaty milk and munch on some cookies."

"Yes!" Beth fisted pumped. "Mommy," Beth called, her voice sounding more mature than her five year old self. Quinn looked up at her daughter. "I'm lucky to have you as a mommy. I love you lots and lots and lots."

Quinn grinned. "That's a whole lot of lots."

"That's how much I love you."

Quinn smiled through her blurred vision. "I love you lots times infinity."

Beth's eyes widen. "That's a whole lot of lots."

"That's how much I love you."

* * *

Quinn peered at her zonked out little girl. They had a busy, fulfilling, day of lounging around in their pajamas and relaxing. The day was a stress-free with many smiles, laughs and jokes just as Quinn wanted it to be. After their mess was cleaned, they connected their new DVD player, put _Cinderella_ on and watched the classic _Disney_ fairy tale while they munched their snacks. After _Cinderella_, _Brave_ immediately followed with lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chicken noddle soup and juice.

When _Brave_ was over they pulled out Beth's _Candyland_ game, playing for a couple of hours until it was time for dinner. They order in pizza for dinner and watched _Home Alone_ again. The movie was still funny the second time around.

Halfway through _Home Alone_ Quinn put a frozen pumpkin pie in the oven. Once the pie was done and cooled they pulled out Beth's make your own bracelet/necklace kit. They spent a good hour making bracelets for one another and Beth's friends.

Quinn ran her left thumb over the beads strung through pink thread. 'Mommy' was beaded in the middle between pink and purple beads. It was her Christmas present from her princess; Beth had said when she tied the bracelet around her wrist. Beth had the same on with 'Princess'.

So, yes, today had been everything she had wanted and more. Quinn rolled over on her side, closing her eyes, suddenly feelings exhausted. The last thought before Morpheus claimed her was about Rachel Berry.

TBC

* * *

Next, we get a little insight from Rachel. We'll see how our little star lives.


	6. Chapter 6

Before we move on to the next chapter of A Christmas Elf, I would like to say my thoughts and prayers are with the victims in Connecticut. If you have time, please sign the petition that's going around twitter, facebook and any other site, and address the issue of gun control we have in the USA. How many more victims will we have to lose before someone does something?

* * *

Title: The Christmas Elf

Rating: M for Mature audiences.

Fandom: Glee

Pairings/Characters: Beth, Quinn/Rachel, Santana/Brittany and Kurt/Blaine

Genre: Romance and Family

Summary: Struggling to make ends meet and give her daughter the Christmas she deserves, Quinn Fabray takes the job as personal driver and assistant to Broadway Queen and A-list star, Rachel Berry. Will love blossom under the twinkling lights of New York, or will they burn out before they even ignite. This story is A/U, with Faberry and Beth as the main characters.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot belong to the respective author. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: If I didn't mention it before, this is unbeta. All mistakes are mine. Anyone interested in betaing for me, please PM me.

**The Christmas Elf**

Rachel Berry lay in bed, staring at the unmoving ceiling fan, unable to sleep. Her thoughts were a chaotic mess. They always are during the holidays, or when she's alone to where the loneliness seeps in, letting her mind wonder. She couldn't believe she had spent the last two years alone. She was alone, period. All that greeted her when she entered her luxury Upper Westside townhouse was silence. Silence, emptiness and loneliness were quickly becoming her best friends. Babs, her cat, use to greet her, but soon the lazy feline decided it was too much trouble and stopped one day. She had cried herself to sleep that night.

This was not how she envisioned her life to be at twenty-seven. She had plans. Big plans. By thirty she was supposed to be the biggest Broadway star of her time, happily married and already had a baby, or more to call her own. She had three more years until she was thirty, and she had only accomplished one out of her three goals.

She figures, if she met a man tomorrow, she would date him for six months before declarations of love were voiced, another six months to move in together. On their first anniversary, he would propose to her. It would be at least eight months to a year to plan a proper wedding. Then trying for a baby would take time. She would be pregnant for nine months. By the time she turned thirty-three she would have everything she ever wanted if she found a man tomorrow. She knows that will never happen, though. Life didn't work out that way.

She had her chance of love, and it wasn't even that great. Brody Weston was everything she loved and hated. He was tall, dark and dangerously handsome. He was dangerous, period. He had the bad boy look with a charming, disarming smile. A dangerous combination she had quickly found out.

She had met Brody Weston her freshman year at NYADA and he a junior. They had the same goals in mind, taking on Broadway. She had refused his advances at first. She had just broken up with her boyfriend, Jesse St. James, of two years, and wasn't looking for a relationship; especially not in her freshmen year. She had wanted to concentrate on finding her place at her new college, studies and finding herself. She had told Brody to give her a year. If he was still interested, she would gladly say yes. Exactly a year later, Brody showed up at her door, holding an orchid, asking her out for dinner. From there it was…a whirlwind romance. After dating for six months, she had moved in with Brody. Eighteen months later, she had audition for the role of _Elphaba_ in _Wicked_. She was twenty-one, landing her first major Broadway show. Brody at the time was making a name for himself playing _Danny_ on the _Grease_. When his run with _Grease_ was over he moved on to _Jersey Boys_ where he has played _Frankie_ _Valli_ since being cast in 2009. The role had won him three Tony's. It was a little after their second anniversary, minutes after they had exhausted themselves by making love, he proposed to her. She didn't hesitant to say yes.

By the age twenty-two she had everything she ever wanted. She had her dream role on Broadway, her leading man and happiness. For two years life was blissful.

It was three days after Valentine's Day, 2010, a day where Brody had surprised her by filling the house with orchids and little post-it notes with sloppy drawn arrows leading her up to their new Upper Westside bedroom. There she found Brody on his knees holding a tiny sterling silver Tiffany's baby rattle engraved with _Baby Brochel_. Brochel was the name the press had dubbed them when they started making headlines. They had made love all night, him without protection and her throwing away her birth control. Three days later, Page Six had posted pictures of Brody and Cassandra July kissing as they left a rundown hotel and Brody and Cassandra in a cab groping and kissing after a night of adulterous fucking.

She still remembers the day vividly. She had woken up at four in hopes of catching Brody before he left to work and she to the studio where she would be playing in her first major film role is when her world fell apart. When she realized Brody had left, she decided to get ready and have a light breakfast while reading the paper before she left at six-fifteen. When she had opened the door for the morning paper, Kurt had zoomed past her, frantic and the press and paparazzi was there to greet her. She had slammed the door shut, confused and panicked.

Kurt, her best friend since High School, let her cry on his shoulder when he had finished breaking the news to her.

Her break-up with Brody took her awhile to get over, and in the end she decided it was probably for the best. She would have liked it without the cheating, deception and lies, however. As Rachel's fame started to raise so did Brody's jealousy. Jealousy is what ultimately led to Brody cheating on her. He was jealousy that she was making a name for herself while he was still stuck on Broadway. There was nothing wrong with Broadway, it will always hold a tender spot in her heart, but Broadway isn't what people are recognized for. Everyone knows the real fame is in movies and television shows. She wasn't in it for the fame, though. She just loved to act. She did it for herself and the fans.

Two and a half years later, she's the biggest star in movies, television, constantly being pestered to go back on Broadway, lives in a five bedroom, six bath townhouse in the Upper Westside and for the past two years spent the holidays alone. She had dated several men and, surprisingly women, in the last two years. They were nothing serious. Only a few had she shared her bed with. But now approaching thirty in three years she longs for someone to love and a family to fill the silence in this family house. At night she dreams of cherub cheeks, tiny giggles and the soft pitter-patter of tiny feet running around. She dreams of strong arms cocooning her, nights of endless love making, Sunday breakfasts, family dinners and vacations. She dreams of having a life.

She's lonely. Even with heaps of people around her, she's lonely. Her friends all have moved on, gotten married, having kids or planning on having kids. All the while she sits on the sidelines, looking longingly and envious.

This Christmas just like the last, she had woken up to a cold, silent house, gave Babs her Christmas gifts – even if the feline didn't know what was happening, watched Christmas movies, made herself a vegan lasagna with a small salad for dinner and continued watching movies until she was bored enough to go to sleep.

She had nowhere to go for the holidays. There was nothing worse than being the only single person at a Christmas party full of couples. Her father's, Leroy and Hiram, had vacation to Maui on her twenty-third birthday, and never left. Sure, she could have spent Christmas with them, but they have a life of their own. They didn't need their depressed, twenty-seven year old daughter, crampin' their style.

That was why when her agent failed at hiring another competent driver/assistant she took matters into her own hands. She wasn't only looking for another driver/assistant; she was also looking for a friend. Kurt and Blaine, her only close friends, were busy with work and trying to find the perfect surrogate. They hardly had time for one another these days. She was craving companionship. Someone to confide in, someone to call in the middle of the night when doubt plaque her mind, someone to help her practice lines and just someone to care for her. In returned she would give them same courtesy. She would be a true friend. That's where Quinn Fabray came in.

Rachel smiled softly as her thoughts drifted off to Quinn Fabray, her new driver and assistant. She had the classic beauty of Grace Kelly and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. A soft, delicate peaches and cream complexion, amber eyes that pulled you in, soft, full pink lips that begged to be kissed and a velvet voice; sleek and smooth with a throaty, husky quality. It nearly brought Rachel to her knees. Quinn smelt of cool Peppermint, fresh snow and promises. Rachel Barbara Berry was hooked.

When Brittany told her about her out of worked friend, she didn't even give it a second thought before she decided to give this mystery person a chance. Brittany was such a sweet girl, always smiling and saying the sweetest things, she just couldn't imagine Brittany associating with someone that's wasn't as kind as the bubbly blonde. The minute she laid eyes on Quinn Fabray she knew her life would never be the same. She didn't know what that meant, she just knew it was true.

Rolling onto her side, giving her a view of the starry sky, she wondered what Quinn and her daughter did for Christmas. She bets Quinn spent it with her daughter, friends and family and maybe a boyfriend. They weren't close enough to have such private discussion. It took trust for such discussions to happen. She had no doubt that with time Quinn would be able to trust her. She could see a beautiful friendship forming with Quinn, already.

Just has her eyes began to drift shut, her final, bitter thought was how she had gotten everything she ever wanted at Christmas, except this year. This year all she ever wanted was for someone to fill the emptiness she felt in her heart. She didn't get it.

TBC

* * *

What does everyone think of Rachel? I know some of you are looking forward to diva!Rachel, and I'm sad to report that's not going to be this Rachel. Diva!Rachel doesn't really fit in this storyline. Plus, I like a more mature Rachel. But don't fret she will have her moments. Next chapter, Tuesday.


	7. Chapter 7

Title: The Christmas Elf

Rating: M for Mature audiences.

Fandom: Glee

Pairings/Characters: Beth, Quinn/Rachel, Santana/Brittany and Kurt/Blaine

Genre: Romance and Family

Summary: Struggling to make ends meet and give her daughter the Christmas she deserves, Quinn Fabray takes the job as personal driver and assistant to Broadway Queen and A-list star, Rachel Berry. Will love blossom under the twinkling lights of New York, or will they burn out before they even ignite. This story is A/U, with Faberry and Beth as the main characters.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot belong to the respective author. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: If I didn't mention it before, this is unbeta. All mistakes are mine. Anyone interested in betaing for me, please PM me.

**The Christmas Elf**

Quinn rocked on her heels; hands deep in her new pants pocket, eyes trained on the steel double doors of Beth's school. She only got to see Beth on the weekends and a few minutes in the morning and before Beth's bed time. Quinn had arranged for one of Beth friend's mom to watch Beth in the morning, take her to school, pick her up after school and watch her until she got off work. Beth would get dropped off about five in the morning, picked up around nine at night. It was a huge adjustment to them, but they made it work, and Beth understood her new job would bring changes to them. She didn't know how she got so lucky to have such a beautiful, thoughtful and kind daughter. She wasn't going to question it, though.

Working for Rachel in the last month, she hasn't been able to pick up Beth. She was lucky to do so today, since Rachel was in LA starring in the _Ellen_ show to promote her Oscar nominated movie _The Dawn before Morning_. The film was the first lesbian big screen adaption starring Rachel Berry as a Jew named Anita Fisher during World War 2, and her lover, Frieda Eatinburger played by Léa Seydoux as they try to escape war ridden Germany. The film was nominated for seven Oscars. Rachel and Léa were both nominated for Best Actress and the film was nominated for Best Picture. The Oscars were set to air February 24 at Dolby Theatre, and Quinn would be at home watching it with Santana, Brittany and Beth since Rachel wouldn't be taking her to LA for the event.

"Moooommmmmyyyyyy," Beth screamed, plowing through the groups of kids, her backpack banged against her shoulder, her sun-kissed hair pulled into a ponytail swished back and forth behind her as she ran towards Quinn.

Quinn crouched down, readying her body for the blunt impact of 35 pounds hitting her. Quinn laughed when Beth's body slammed into her and little arms and legs around her. Due to years of being a Cheerio, Quinn was able to stand easily with her spider monkey wrapped around her.

"What are you doing here?" Beth asked her tiny hands cupped her mommy's face, squishing Quinn's cheeks, making her pucker like a fish.

"Picking you up, silly. I missed you. I thought we can go home, and spend the rest of the day together."

Beth frowned. "What about Ms. Rachel? Don't cha hafta work for her?"

Quinn nodded, bending down to put Beth down. Her little girl was just too big now to be carried for long minutes. "She's in LA doing the _Ellen_ show. She'll be back tomorrow."

"Good…'cause you're happy all the time now, like lots and lots and lots of happy. I like it when you're happy."

Quinn smiled sadly. "I was lots and lots and lots of happy before, baby. I was just going through some adult problems and they made me sad. Those problems are gone now; you don't have to worry about me being sad, okay. Now, tell me what you want to do today? We have the whole day."

The minute Quinn finished, Beth started to list what she wanted to do. It was something completely unexpected, but rather exciting since she hadn't done anything like that in the longest time. Her daughter, her little girl, wanted to go to _Target_ and buy DVD's to add to her collection of _Brave_ and _Cinderella_. They had watched the two _Disney_ movies so much, the discs started to skip now. Beth got the idea from her friend, Heather, who had walls and walls of movies. With her working for Rachel, Quinn was able to give her little girl things that would make her happy.

After shopping at_ Target_, Beth wanted Quinn to make spaghetti for dinner. Quinn readily agreed, getting excited about it herself. Beside a couple of DVD's for Beth, she planned on going a little shopping. She knew they needed shampoo and conditioner, soap, laundry soap and she wanted to get Beth some more winter clothing.

Walking back home, Quinn listened intently to Beth as she rambled on and on about her day at school. She had learned that Beth's class was doing show and tell next Friday and for Valentine's Day they were making hearts and gifts for the parents and having a party. Beth was picked out to bring drinks for the glass. No soda, Beth had told Quinn, wagging a finger in her face.

When they made it home, Quinn told Beth to change out of her uniform so they can catch the next bus out to take them to _Target_. One thing Quinn didn't like was being out after dark in Harlem. She had decided after the New Years, she would start looking for apartments in a different neighborhood.

By the time they made it home, it was a little after six-thirty. Quinn had Beth sit at the table to do her homework of writing the numbers one to hundred three times while she got to work on their dinner. Beth had protested, wanting to watch her new movies of _Beauty and the Beast_ and the bundle pack of _Toy Story One and Two_. Quinn had stood firm, but promised they would watch the movie after dinner while they ate their dessert of strawberry ice cream.

Dinner didn't take long, something Quinn enjoyed.

"Are you taking me to school, mommy?" Beth asked, slurping up some noodles.

Quinn handed Beth a napkin. "I'll be able to take you to school, but I won't be able to pick you up. Rachel's flight comes in about ten; I need to pick her up. From there she has a couple of errands to run."

"Is she nice? She looks nice. In her pictures she always has a big smile."

"Yeah, she is, baby. She's really nice," Quinn smiled, thinking about the brunette that was on the other coast.

Quinn's mind went to Rachel. In the last month she had grown a little closer to Rachel. How could they not when she drove Rachel around all day, if she didn't have to be on the set? During their ride from destination to destination, they spoke. They never revealed too much about their lives. Quinn mainly spoke about Beth and Rachel spoke about her day on the set. She still got goosebumps and butterflies in her stomach whenever she was in the vicinity of Rachel, something she didn't understand. She chalked it up to being nerves still. She was confident in her job, but that underlining fear of making a mistake that could cost her this life changing job, made her extra cautious at times. There were times when she wanted to reveal more to Rachel, to create a relationship that went beyond employer/employee. Her only friends were Santana and Brittany, making a new friend would be nice, but fear stopped her. She would open her mouth only to shut it.

She thought about those moments in the car when Rachel would talk to her, they would laugh or Rachel would talk to her about what she was working on. She had yet to encounter diva Rachel, Brittany had so fondly told her about one afternoon during a call. She didn't understand it, didn't want to think about what it meant, but she missed Rachel.

Dishes done, dessert served up, Quinn and Beth lay in their bed, watching _Beauty and the Beast_. The movie finished by nine, with Beth asleep and Quinn ready to pass out herself. Checking the locks and windows, making sure her alarm was set, Quinn shut off the television, crawling into bed.

* * *

The next morning, after fixing Beth waffles for breakfast and dropping her little girl off to school, she was on her way to pick up Rachel's 2013 black Escalade. It was Quinn's favorite out of Rachel's three cars. She loved the smooth and cool leather against body, the smoothness of the engine and how easy it was to drive.

Quinn waited for Rachel at the pick-up zone. Rachel had texted Quinn and said there was no need for her to meet her at baggage claim. It wasn't long for Rachel to arrive, smiling and waving.

"Hi, Quinn!" Rachel chirped, rolling her luggage behind her.

"Hey, Rachel. How was your flight?" Quinn asked, reaching for Rachel's luggage.

Rachel looked down sheepishly. "I wouldn't know. I slept through it."

Quinn laughed, opening Rachel's door. "That's the best way to fly."

Rachel ducked in, smiling at Quinn. "It would have been if I didn't have a lot of work. While I was in LA, my agent set up set up a meeting with Ben Affleck. He wants me for his next film."

Quinn rushed around the car, starting the engine. "How did that go?"

"Good, good. I still have time to think about it, filming doesn't start until September. Since starting my career, it's been work nonstop. I think when I finished filming this movie; I want to take a break."

Quinn nodded, knowing the feeling. She hasn't had a vacation since she was sixteen.

"Where are we stopping at first?" Quinn asked Rachel, finally able to pull into traffic. She hated airports.

Rachel shifted in her seat, nervously. Her reason for not sleeping was currently sitting in the driver's seat, hands firmly wrapped around the stirring wheel, eyes on the road and concentration on driving. In the last month, her need to start a friendship with Quinn had clouded her every thought. She didn't know what it was about the blonde, but she had this needed to be friends with her. It kept her up at night; it made her forget her mark and lines and plagued her mind constantly. Last night she made a promise to herself that she wasn't going to hold back anymore. She was going to ask Quinn out for coffee.

"Are you busy?"

Quinn glanced at Rachel through the rear-view mirror. "I'm yours for another seven hours," Quinn answered.

Rachel swallowed. For some reason Quinn's words made her tingle. "Would you like to stop for coffee?" Rachel said softly.

"Sure. Would you like me to run in and get your usual?"

Rachel shook her head. "I was hoping we could have coffee. You know, together as – as friends. I would like to be your friend. If we were to have met in high school, I think you and I would have been friends."

Quinn shook her head, sadly. "No, we wouldn't have, you represented everything I was taught to hate. I would have wanted, though. I would have bullied you, thrown slushies' at you, called you pitiful names, anything to bring you down and show I was superior, when really I was just jealous."

Rachel looked down, deflated. "Oh."

Quinn glanced at Rachel. "I'm not that person anymore" Rachel looked up. "I hated who I was then. I've grown a lot – thanks to Beth. You're exactly the kind of person I would like to be friends with. If the offer still stands, I'd love to get have coffee with you."

Quinn's smile matched Rachel's.

TBC

Sorry for the late update. My aunt had her baby. We were hoping for a Christmas baby to match our New Year's and Fourth of July babies, but the little guy was impatient. I did have trouble writing this chapter, and the extra allotted time helped somewhat. I'm still not happy with it, but it's the start of Faberry friendship, something I've wanted to get going to move the story along.

Three more things:

A reviewer told me I made a mistake concerning the Tony Awards given to Rachel and Brody. Thank you that information. I thought the Tony's were like the Oscars or Golden Globes. Actor and Actresses could be nominated for several categories. I'll be changing those chapters later on in the week.

Second, I received a very sweet PM. They were worried I might not finish due to some of the reviews and discontinue **The Christmas Elf** like so many of their favorite Faberry stories. I wasn't bothered by the reviews. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I respect that. If anyone cares, I can assure you, I finish everything I start. My mom always told me 'Don't start something, you can't finish' and I stood by that, even when I wanted to give up and quit. My dad always told me, quitting was the weakest thing a person could do. I've also stood by that. **The** **Christmas Elf** will be finished. Not when I wanted it to, since my muse in running wild, but it will be finished. So don't worry.

Third, the update for Friday will be posted Saturday night.

Hope you all enjoyed. Reviews are loved. By the way, if anyone has any ideas or suggestions, I would love to hear them. I can't promise I'll use them, but I'll definitely take them into consideration.

Patty


	8. Chapter 8

Title: The Christmas Elf

Rating: M for Mature audiences.

Fandom: Glee

Pairings/Characters: Beth, Quinn/Rachel, Santana/Brittany and Kurt/Blaine

Genre: Romance and Family

Summary: Struggling to make ends meet and give her daughter the Christmas she deserves, Quinn Fabray takes the job as personal driver and assistant to Broadway Queen and A-list star, Rachel Berry. Will love blossom under the twinkling lights of New York, or will they burn out before they even ignite. This story is A/U, with Faberry and Beth as the main characters.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot belong to the respective author. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: If I didn't mention it before, this is unbeta. All mistakes are mine. Anyone interested in betaing for me, please PM me.

**The Christmas Elf**

Quinn checked her phone for the umpteenth time as she waited in front of Beth's school. She had dropped Rachel off at JFK at eight and was now waiting for Rachel's text telling her she landed.

The month of February flown by, and before Quinn knew it she was dropping Rachel off at JFK on the twenty-second for the Oscars. For some unknown reason, she had found it incredibly hard to drop Rachel off this time. They had stood talking; rehashing all the errands Rachel needed to be done to dragging out time until Rachel was left only minutes before her flight was set to take off.

She had left the airport missing Rachel more than ever. She had enjoyed getting to know the actress in the last month. At first they were hesitant, but Quinn had extended the Olive branch and invited Rachel out to lunch where they learned more about each other. She was now happy to consider Rachel one of her friends. There were still details of her life, her past she kept from Rachel. It wasn't that she didn't want to tell Rachel, because she did, but she wasn't ready to divulge into such details at the beginning stage of their friendship. Trust was still being established, and it would take time for her to fully trust Rachel.

Quinn looked at her watch; she still had five minutes until school ended for Beth. She decided to take the time to review the list of errands Rachel needed her to do for the next five days.

Looking at the list of errands, she decided she could take Beth with her. When she worked at Harry's, she would sometimes take Beth to work for a couple of hours before Tina would pick her up. Her daughter had fallen in love with their banana pancakes and chocolate chip muffins.

Just as she was putting her phone into the charging dock, the bell rang and kids began filing out of the school doors, ready to start their weekend. When she saw Beth walking out, flanked by two of her friends, she stepped out of the car, waving at Beth.

"Mom, whose car is this," Beth asked, pulling her right arm out of the straps of her backpack.

"Rachel's," Quinn answered, helping Beth into the booster. "We'll be using it this whole weekend to run errands for her. Buckled in tight?" Quinn pulled on the seatbelt, making sure the straps were tight.

"Yup," Beth said with a grin. This was her first time riding in Rachel's car. "Where are we going?" Beth questioned once Quinn was in the car.

Quinn turned the ignition. "We need to pick up Rachel's clothes, take them to her house and while we are there we have to feed her kitty food and give her medicine."

Beth frowned. "Is the kitty sick?"

Quinn laughed. "No, baby, she's not sick. The pills are just vitamins to keep her healthy." She didn't mention that she would be giving Rachel's cat an antidepressant, too. She didn't even know cats were able to get depressed.

"Oh, okay." Beth perked up. "What's Ms. Rachel cat's name?"

"Babs," Quinn answered, stopping at a red light. "You probably won't see her, though. Rachel said she's shy and likes to hide."

Beth nodded. "Well…I hope I get to see her. I love kitties. I've always wanted a kitty," Beth informed Quinn, hinting at what she wanted.

Quinn shook her head. "I'm sorry, baby, but you know we can't have pets. I'm looking at places, I'll be sure to look for an apartment that accepts pets."

"Okay," Beth sulked.

The rest of the car ride was rode with Beth telling Quinn what she had done in school and what homework she had. Quinn listened with rapt attention, commenting and asking questions when needed. When they got to Rachel's drycleaners, Quinn ran in, grabbed Rachel's clothes and was back within a minute. She would never leave Beth in the car alone, but it would have been a waste of time, getting Beth in and out with a minute errand. Plus, Beth was content watching the headrest car monitor that was playing Rachel's DVD Mary Poppins.

* * *

"Please don't touch anything, okay," Quinn told Beth, stepping into the foyer of Rachel's townhouse.

Beth looked around in awe, spinning in circled taking in the details. "Ms. Rachel's house is so, so big. It's like a castle."

Quinn chuckled, 'cause – yeah – Rachel's house was a castle. It had five floors, an elevator, gym, entertainment room and library. That's not counting the eight rooms and six bathrooms and gourmet kitchen fit for any chef. The whole fifth floor took up Rachel's room, bathroom and closet. She didn't know how Rachel's lived in this sized of a house all by herself. She would have felt lonely if it had been her. She wonders if that's what Rachel feelings when she's here.

Putting the clothes away and setting Babs up didn't take long. On the way home, Quinn stopped by and grabbed some Chinese food for them. After dinner, homework and a couple of hours of playtime for Beth and apartment searching for Quinn, Quinn and Beth got ready for bed. Just has Quinn been drifting off to sleep, she heard her phone ding with a message. Finding the green app with the white talk bubble, Quinn touched it.

'Sorry I didn't tell you I landed. I got accosted by the paps and it's been crazy since. I know it's late in NY, but I wanted to tell you I made it in okay. Talk to you soon.' It said in the green bubble.

'It's okay. Thanks for letting me know. Talk to you in the morning, I'm going to sleep now' Quinn texted back through blurred eyes.

'Sweet dreams, sunshine' Rachel replied to Quinn's text.

Quinn smiled groggily, texting 'Sweet dreams, Songbird'

* * *

The weekend pasted by fast with Quinn doing her job, carting Beth around with her and texting Rachel back and forth. Before she knew it, she, Santana, Brittany and Beth were all huddled in front of the TV watching the Oscars.

"What category is she nominated for?" Santana asked, stuffing a handful of popcorn into her mouth.

"Best Actress," Quinn said in her best 'duh' voice. "But her movie is nominated for several." Quinn reached for her phone when it dinged.

'Almost there' Rachel texted.

Quinn let out a small squeak of excitement. "She's almost there," Quinn said. "We should see her soon on the red carpet."

Santana gave Quinn a look, narrowing her eyes a bit, furrowing her brow. Quinn didn't see the look she was too busy looking at her phone.

'We're watching. See you soon.' Quinn sent back.

Rachel came into view, walking down the red carpet. Rachel wore a Navy, sleek and sexy and fitting Diane von Furstenberg dress. Quinn had the urge to cover Beth's eyes when she saw the deep slit that showed off Rachel's long, slender and smooth tan leg.

"Jesus," Santana breathed.

Quinn licked her lips, nodding. "Yeah."

For the next thirty minutes, they all watched the red carpet show until the awards started. They watched the awards with heighten attention, Quinn zooming in whenever Rachel's was in view. Almost two hours later, they were finally announcing Best Actress.

"And the award goes to…Rachel Berry for her role in _The Dawn before Morning_.

Rachel smiled and made her way up to the podium to make her speech. It was the same generic speech, thanking the crew her movie was made up of, her parents and friends. Quinn didn't care, though. She was proud of Rachel. She was happy for Rachel. Quinn wiped away her tears of happiness as Rachel walked off the stage.

* * *

"So…what been going on with you and Rachel?" Santana asked, handing Quinn the empty bowl that held their popcorn.

Quinn blushed. "What do you mean? We're friends."

Santana smirked. "Yeah, okay. But you want to be more, right? Remember in High School how you used to cream your panties anytime you saw her picture. That shit was hilarious."

Quinn frowned. "Nothing could come from it. We're friends. And not to mention, she's completely out of my league. Add in Beth, too. We'll be doomed before we even start." Quinn shook her head. "I don't even know why we're talking about this. I have Beth to think about, and I'm not going to ruin my daughter's life by being selfish and ruining the best job a person could ask for."

Santana sighed. "Just because you have Beth doesn't mean you have to put your life on hold. Lots of single moms and dads date, and still have time for their kids. Don't you want to give Beth a family? It doesn't have to be with Rachel. It could be with anyone. Just get out more. Be selfish for a little bit. Tell me, have you bought anything for yourself since working for Rachel?"

"Of course, I just bought me and Beth a pair of matching pink Vans."

"No, I meant something you _want_ not need. You need the clothes and shoes. What about something you don't need, but want."

Quinn wordlessly shook her head. If she thought back to all she bought, she would say most of it went towards rent, bills, Beth and savings.

Santana gave Quinn a tight smile. "Just think about it, okay. I just want you to be happy. You're my best friend, always will be. But you're more than that. Brittany is the love of my life, but you're my soul mate," Santana said, her cheeks tinting a cute pink.

Quinn laughed. "You watch too much Grey's Anatomy," Quinn joked, but her heart fluttered at Santana declaration. It wasn't often the Latina showed her feelings.

Santana shrugged. "It's true. You and me, Blondie, we'll always be there for each other."

Quinn pulled Santana into her arms. "You're my soul mate, too, San."

* * *

Later that night, after everyone was asleep, Quinn thought about her talk with Santana. She wasn't ready to date. She needed to get herself settled before she even thought about dating. Then, she would also need to talk to talk to Beth about her dating. Telling her little girl, her mommy liked Princesses not Princes. In high school her feelings for Rachel was a silly schoolgirl crush; now spending time with Rachel, working with Rachel, getting to know Rachel her crush had developed into stronger feelings. Quinn wondered if her life was different, would she have met Rachel or been with Rachel.

Quinn took a deep breath, shaking her head to clear the thought of 'what ifs'. It wouldn't do any good. All she could think about was the present. The present was figuring out what she wanted to do with her life. Only one thing came to mind: School. She wanted to go back to school. She wanted a career not a job. Rachel's job was a dream came true; changing her life for the better, but it wasn't always going to be available to her. Rachel could decide she didn't need a driver/assistant anymore, or simply Rachel could leave, move to another state or country. Then where would she be? Back to where she was, struggling to make ends meet. She wasn't going to let that happen again. Starting tomorrow, she's going to look into options for her. She was going to make a life for herself and her daughter. Rachel might have given her the means to change her life, but it was up to her what she wanted to do with it. She wasn't going to mess up the only chance of her getting a life and career she always dreamt of. She was going to take this gift and do something with it, something that would make her little girl proud of her someday.

Starting tomorrow, she was going to put together her life.

* * *

A/N:

Sorry for the late update. I went on vacation with the wifey. Plus, this chapter gave me a lot of trouble. As much as I want Rachel and Quinn to jump into a relationship, I need Quinn to get a better handle of herself first. I hope the pace is okay with everyone.

Next chapter will be all Faberry interaction, moving their relationship along. I know you guys want Rachel to meet Beth, but I'm not quite there, yet. It's coming soon, though. I need Faberry to trust each other first and have a solid friendship.

A reviewer asked where in Harlem Quinn lived, and I can honestly say: I don't know. I asked a friend who lived in New York for a while, and she told me Harlem or Washington Heights was a good place for Quinn to live.

Updates will slow down a bit. I got a nasty virus, and it's sucking out all my energy. Once I'm better and able to stay awake for more than an hour, I'll be posting. Until then…I hope everyone liked the chapter.

Patty

P.S: Thank you everyone for the reviews, favorites and follows. I'm glad everyone is liking the story so far. It really makes it easier to write.


	9. Chapter 9

Title: The Christmas Elf

Rating: M for Mature audiences.

Fandom: Glee

Pairings/Characters: Beth, Quinn/Rachel, Santana/Brittany and Kurt/Blaine

Genre: Romance and Family

Summary: Struggling to make ends meet and give her daughter the Christmas she deserves, Quinn Fabray takes the job as personal driver and assistant to Broadway Queen and A-list star, Rachel Berry. Will love blossom under the twinkling lights of New York, or will they burn out before they even ignite. This story is A/U, with Faberry and Beth as the main characters.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot belong to the respective author. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to my beta floydist. She is very much appreciated.

**The Christmas Elf**

Rachel paced in her foyer, waiting for the resounding sound of her doorbell ringing, or a soft knock on her heavy oak door. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and she was expecting Quinn at any minute. It would be the first time since their friendship began that they would be spending time alone without the public eye. She had invited Quinn on a spur of the moment when the blonde had picked her up at the airport two weeks ago. Surprisingly, Quinn had readily agreed. They had compared schedules, figuring out in the end it would be two weeks, when Beth was scheduled for a sleepover birthday party, which they would be able to get together. They had made plans to meet for lunch at Rachel's house after Quinn dropped Beth off at her friend's house.

The soft tinkling sound of a bell jingling alerted her that she was no longer alone and Babs had joined her.

"Hello, Babs," Rachel smiled at her calico cat with its dark golden eyes. "I see you finally decided to grace me with your presence. I hope you are well? Dr. Jacobs said those pills shouldn't take long to take full effect."

Babs sat on her hind, her tail swishing back and forth.

"You know, Quinn should be arriving soon. I think it would be lovely if you spent some time with her. She did say she was looking for a cat for her daughter, Beth." Babs raised her front right leg and licked her paw. "She's very special to me, you know. Her friendship means a lot to me. I know I've put our friendship in a delicate situation. It might be unethical and wrong and I'm taking many risks developing a friendship with her while she's my employee, but I've been so, so lonely and becoming friends with her is something I've come to greatly cherish. She's a wonderful person."

Babs meowed; seemingly agreeing to Rachel's little rant.

Rachel sighed. She felt a little ridiculous for talking to her cat. She hoped she wasn't turning into that person. Has her life turned so lonely that she now talked and took comfort in her cat? She hoped not.

Rachel checked the time from the Tiffany's clock that sat on a corner table on the foyer. Quinn was ten minutes late. Feeling dejected, Rachel made her way into the kitchen to put away the food she prepared for their lunch date. Brody had taught her early on in their relationship that if a person was ten minutes late, they weren't showing. She had lost count on how many times Brody never showed for their dates, without calling her to cancel or giving her an explanation. She should have taken that as a sign that their relationship was doomed. It could have saved her the heartbreak, deceit and embarrassment.

Reaching down in was one the bottom cabinets, where she stored her Tupperware, Rachel heard the faint sound of the doorbell chime. Hearing it chime again, Rachel felt her heart stutter. She hated to get her hopes high, but she couldn't help it. She really wanted Quinn to show and for them to spend time together.

Practically jogging to the front door, Rachel threw it opened, revealing a frazzled and heartbreakingly gorgeous Quinn waiting for her.

"Hi," Quinn said breathlessly. "I'm so sorry I'm late. I tried to get here early, but Beth couldn't find her princess pajamas, and she just had to have them to match the other girls. Then we forgot Cindi, her Cinderella bear we had built at Build-A-Bear. After dropping Beth off, I thought I would stopped by that place you like, Peacefood, and picked up some desserts for us to enjoy. When I got there the line was almost out the door. I was going to turn around, but I thought 'I'm already here, might as well get what I came for.' I was going to call you, but my charger is going crazy on me. It keeps saying something about my charger not being supported by my phone, so it never charged. I would have used my other phone, if I didn't give it to Beth to use for her sleepovers – just in case she needed me. I'm sorry for being late," Quinn finished in a soft, shy voice and cheeks painted red.

Rachel quirked a small, amused smile. She loved watching a clearly flustered and nervous Quinn. It was a sight to behold. "I don't think you took a single breath that whole time."

Quinn chuckled. "I don't think I did either." The blonde looked Rachel in the eyes "I really am sorry," her tone remorseful and apologetic.

Rachel waved off the apology even though her heart was beating like mad. "Oh, it's fine. Please, come in," she said, stepping aside to let Quinn enter. "It sounded like you had a hectic morning."

Rachel shut the door softly, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves before she turned around to help Quinn out of her coat and grabbing the bags in the blonde's hands. Warmth filled her at the time Quinn took to get her favorite desserts at one of her favorite vegan establishments.

"Would you like something to drink?" Rachel asked, over her shoulder leading the way towards the kitchen. "I have a nice Merlot aerating. I also have water, juice, milk, coffee … basically everything. Lately, I've been enjoying a nice glass of Macallan Scotch 25 years."

They entered the kitchen, and Rachel rounded the granite island counter, waiting for Quinn's response while placing Quinn's box of desserts into the fridge.

"I'll have a glass of wine, please," Quinn said, perching herself on one of the barstools.

Rachel nodded, pouring Quinn as well as herself, both a glass of wine. "Hopefully it's good. It's from 1990. Just because it's aged, doesn't mean it's a good wine."

Quinn accepted the glass with a smile of thanks. The blonde took a long, good look into the glass, tilting it so and scrutinizing for a few more seconds before she swirled her glass around. Fascinated, Rachel watched every movement and action Quinn made. She watched the woman take a quick whiff of the wine, pausing for a few seconds; seemingly trying to get the first impression of smell then stuck her nose down into the glass inhaling deeply through her nose. Done smelling, Quinn took a small sip, letting it roll in her mouth.

"It's a good wine," Quinn concluded. "I smelt a little 'barnyard' at the beginning, but it went away after a few seconds. It shows great color with only moderate clearness around the edges. Other than that, it's a nice ruby wine with hints of cedar, cherry and vanilla in the taste. It's has very sweet, fruity and full taste. Your friend knows their wines."

Rachel grinned. "It's seems you do, too. You never mention in your résumé you were a wine connoisseur."

Quinn blushed. "My parents were big wine collectors. For several of our family vacations, we took trips to chateaus in Italy, France and some in California. It's been a long time since I've had a decent wine that wasn't known as 'frat party wine', or cost no more than five dollars."

Rachel soaked in what little information Quinn had given her. From what she learned about Quinn, thy only family she had was her two best friends, Santana and Brittany, and Santana's parents who took her in after being kicked out.

"My dads are wine drinkers, but nowhere near to where they can distinguish the smells and flavor notes of the wine. If it's good, they'll drink it," Rachel commented, gathering plates for their lunch. "My mom isn't a big wine drinker, though. She's more into spirits and liquor than wines," Rachel added.

Feeling uncomfortable at Rachel severing her and doing all the work, Quinn stood and politely grabbed the plates from Rachel. The brunette smiled thanks.

"I thought it would be nice to sit and eat at the bar. The dining room is a little too formal. I can count the number of times I've eaten in it on one hand. I mainly use it for holiday dinners, and those are too far in between," Rachel murmured quietly, a little ashamed how lonely her life is.

Quinn nodded, placing one plate by her wine glass, and its twin to the left. She moved across the kitchen, and grabbed a couple of paper napkins, joining them with the plates.

Rachel wandered over, placing a rectangular cooking dish on the counter, along with forks before she ran back over to the stove to grab a smaller rectangular dish.

"I hope you like lasagna. I don't normally eat breakfast and dinner is usually a banana, so I like to eat a filling meal at lunch. And you can't get more filling than lasagna. I made a vegan kind, and a meat lover's kind," Rachel said, cutting a portion of her vegan lasagna.

Quinn reached over, cutting a piece of her own from the small rectangular dish, depositing it onto her plate. She inhaled the sweet scent of basil, garlic, onion and tomatoes. It was enough to tell her the sauce was homemade. She was incredibly touched by Rachel's efforts.

Quinn forked some lasagna into her mouth, moaning it delight. "This is really good, Rachel," the blonde praised Rachel with a smile. "I can't believe it came out this well without you tasting one bit of it. This is truly delicious. Mine doesn't even come out this well, and I taste my sauce," Quinn finished off with a laugh.

Rachel blushed under the blonde's compliment. "Thank you, Quinn. That's lovely of you to say. I'm glad you like it."

Quinn smile, taking a large bite of her lasagna.

Lunch passed by with Quinn and Rachel getting to know each other, developing their friendship with each spoken confession. Rachel laughed at the many stories Quinn told of Beth, and Quinn soaked up any information Rachel told her about her life. It meant a lot to the blonde that Rachel divulged in private information about her life, knowing that Quinn could go to the press with any information even with Quinn signing a non-disclosure agreement.

Quinn wiped her mouth with her napkin. "That was delicious, Rachel. Thank you."

Rachel stood, gathering her dishes. "Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Just give me a minute to put this food away, and wash the dishes, we could go into the entertainment room. Can you stay for a movie?"

"Here, let me help you. I feel weird watching you clean up my mess and have you cook lunch." Quinn grabbed her own dishes, walking over to the sink. "I don't have any plans so a movie sounds wonderful. It's been awhile since I've watched anything that's not animated."

"Quinn, I would feel embarrassed if you'd helped. You're a guest. It's no problem. When I'm finished, we can set up a movie to watch."

Quinn turned on the water, ignoring Rachel for a moment. "How about you dry, and I'll wash. There's only a few dishes, no sense in using the dishwasher. Once were finished we'll watch that movie. Deal?"

Rachel grinned. "Deal."

* * *

"…I love you lots and lots and lots, too, baby," Quinn said, speaking softly into the phone. Rachel had found her a charger to charge her phone, and the moment she had enough battery, she called Beth. "Are you being well behaved?" Quinn smiled, closing her eyes for a moment to soak up the tiny, small childish voice of her little girl. "I'm glad you're having fun … I miss you … all right, I love you and I'll see you tomorrow. Don't eat too much junk food, and mind your manners … okay, bye." Quinn let out a sad sigh as she ended her call.

"How's Beth?" Rachel inquired, handing Quinn another glass of wine, herself opting for her scotch, finding a seat across from the blonde.

"Good … having fun. I miss her. This is really the first time I've been without her all night. It's always been me and her since the moment I found out I was pregnant. I had help from my friend's family, but at the end of the day, it's just us."

Rachel's smile match Quinn's own smile. Rachel had never met Beth, or seen any pictures, but she knew from hearing Quinn talk about her daughter with such adoration, the little girl must be special. All too soon, Rachel's expression turned thoughtful as she thought about something that's been nagging her.

"I know it's none of my business, and feel free to tell me so. I know we haven't known each other long but … what happened to Beth's father? Is he not in her life, at all?"

Quinn took a deep breath. She really hated rehashing the past, especially anything concerning that asshole, Puck. There was really only one thing good about Puck. If it wasn't for him, she wouldn't have her little girl. If she wanted to get to know Rachel and develop a deep friendship with Rachel, she needed to learn to trust Rachel. She didn't think there was a better way to start out by trusting the brunette than to tell her about Puck.

"I'm going to give you the reader's digest version, okay. I cheated on my high school boyfriend with Puck …" Quinn continued her tale, pulling her knees up to her chest, resting her head against them, and recounted her sophomore year in high school. She was surprised she managed not to shed too many tears as she told Rachel about such a troubling time in her life, which she didn't like to talk about.

"So, there you have it. I cheated on my boyfriend, got pregnant by Puck after I was beaten down verbally about my weight, passed the baby as Sam's, got kicked out by my parents, moved in with Santana, told Sam he wasn't the father after the guilt became too much, confessed to Puck that he was the father only to have him walk out on his responsibilities a month before my due date, leaving me a bullshit note with 'I'm sorry' written on it. I haven't seen or spoken to him since." Quinn downed the rest of her wine, silently waiting for Rachel to say something.

Rachel grasped Quinn's hand. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that at such a young age."

Quinn shrugged, giving Rachel a watery smile. "It's Puck's lost, really. Beth is … Beth is amazing. She's the light in my life. He's the one missing out, not me. I may have been young and there may have been plenty of times where I questioned if I was doing the right thing, but I don't regret one single moment."

Rachel looked in awe at Quinn. She didn't know what she would have done if she were in the blonde's shoes. She knew Jesse would have run like Puck, thinking a baby would have ruined his career and dreams. Looking back at her sixteen year old self, she probably would have thought the same. She had only one goal in mind at that age, and that wasn't having a baby. Now though, she would give anything to have a little girl or boy to call her own.

"You did a very courageous thing at such a young age. It takes true strength to get through what you have gone through. Beth is lucky to have a mom like you. I haven't met her yet, but I know she's probably beautiful, strong and smart like her mom. And when she's older, I know she's going to be an extraordinary woman with you as her mom."

"She's makes me want to be better. It's me who is lucky," Quinn whispered, her eyes shining with love and adoration for her little girl.

* * *

"How's the house hunting going," Rachel asked, taking a bite of her strawberry shortcake, letting out a sound of delight. She really loved Peacefood's strawberry shortcake. She was surprised when Quinn opened up the box from Peacefood's, revealing her favorite treat and more.

They had opted out of watching a movie to talk more in the living room.

Quinn groaned. "Horrible. I can't seem to find the perfect place for me and Beth. This is will our first real place. I want it to be perfect." Quinn took a bite of her carrot cake, letting moist cake with pineapple and dried ginger mingles together, but not taking away from the cake flavor. She was especially surprised at how tasty the cream cheese frosting was.

Rachel contemplated for a moment, thinking about the in-law suite that was originally her basement/wine cellar. It was her idea to change the basement/wine cellar into in-law quarters when she and Brody had gotten married. She wanted a place where their parents could have space of their own. Now it was being used as a storage unit of clothes that needed to be donated, boxes of memorabilia and junk she didn't have room for.

She knew there were cons to it. One major one being her and Quinn working relationship, but it wasn't any different than if she were to have full-time chef and housekeeper. Her old chef, Francesca, had lived with her and Brody before she decided to move away and help her daughter. And she knew people that had their assistants living with them. They just had to set boundaries, and know not to cross them.

"I have a proposition for you, and feel free to say no. When Brody and I were married, I had some contractors come in and redo the basement/wine cellar area. I requested for them to make it into in-law quarters. It has two good sized bedrooms, a kitchen area that overlooks into the living room and one bathroom with a shower/tub combo It's not much to some people, but it's really a nice place," Rachel took a deep breath, "I think it's perfect for you and Beth. A small family."

TBC

* * *

**A/N: Yes, I finally put an update out. Sorry for the long wait. After being sick, finding out my mom was pregnant, I had hit a writer block. It seems to have cleared since I spent the last couple of days writing. I wasn't too happy with this chapter, but it did get me to where I wanted to story to go. I have the next chapter halfway written and should be finishing it soon, along with another update for Suddenly I See, and for anyone that's following my Grey's story, a new update for that one. Until then...thank you for reading and reviewing.**


	10. Chapter 10

Title: The Christmas Elf

Rating: M for Mature audiences.

Fandom: Glee

Pairings/Characters: Beth, Quinn/Rachel, Santana/Brittany and Kurt/Blaine

Genre: Romance and Family

Summary: Struggling to make ends meet and give her daughter the Christmas she deserves, Quinn Fabray takes the job as personal driver and assistant to Broadway Queen and A-list star, Rachel Berry. Will love blossom under the twinkling lights of New York, or will they burn out before they even ignite. This story is A/U, with Faberry and Beth as the main characters.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot belong to the respective author. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: If I didn't mention it before, this is unbeta. All mistakes are mine. Anyone interested in betaing for me, please PM me.

**The Christmas Elf**

Quinn whirled around, facing a nervous and fidgeting Rachel. Her eyes were widened in total and utter shock at the proposition Rachel had just gave to her. She couldn't possibly move in with Rachel. Not when she was starting to develop a crush, celebrity worship, or whatever it was on Rachel. It was bad enough with her having a friendship with her beyond the job. Thinking about how wrong it was, cemented her opinion that the whole thing was as horrible as it sounded. She couldn't see anything good coming out of accepting Rachel's offer. Though, it was kind and touching.

"Rachel, I – I…this…" a frustrated breath escaped her lips, hating that she couldn't speak right without stumbling over her words.

"Can – Can you just look at the space before you tell me no," Rachel threw in before Quinn can get another word in. "I really do think it's a great place for you and Beth. Also, if you move in, you have access to the Entertainment room, library, and any other room in the house barring my own room. You don't just have to stay cooped up in the basement. So, do you want to have a look?" Rachel's pleading eyes bore into Quinn's.

Quinn sighed then nodded hesitantly. "Yeah, okay," Quinn murmured.

Rachel grinned triumphantly. "Just let me get the key, and I'll show you the place. Meet me in the kitchen," Rachel threw over her shoulder as she ran out of the living room.

Quinn sighed, and did what Rachel asked. Just as she reached the kitchen, Rachel was walking through the threshold. She didn't pause in her step as she made her way to the door that Quinn thought was a broom closet.

"Okay, so, the only entrance is through the house, and into the kitchen," Rachel said, turning the lock until they heard the click. Opening the door, she motion Quinn to enter first. "Watch your step, there's a slight step down."

Stepping down, Quinn was startled slightly when a light switched on.

"It's a motion sensor light. The minute you step down the light switches on," Rachel explained, noticing how Quinn gave a slight jump when the light turned on.

With the light on, Quinn could see down the short hall, and to the left was an open doorway. She figured it must lead to the living room.

Quinn waited until Rachel walked passed her until she followed. She vaguely noticed how the light in the hallway turned off.

"Here is the living room," Rachel said, flipping on the switched that was located on the right wall.

Quinn felt all her breath leave her when she came into view of the living room. The first thought that came to mind was: Home. She felt at home as she took in all the creams and different shades of browns and the here and there blue. The walls were painted a cream color that tied in the with the rich, chocolate brown two-piece leather sectional with a corner chaise. Below the deep brown stain coffee table was a light blue, cream and brown rug to bring in the blue and brown cushions of the couch. Across the couch was an electric fireplace with the plasma screen mounted above it. Quinn noticed there was another open doorway by the fireplace, she suspected that it lead to the rooms and bathroom.

"If you don't like anything, please feel free to change anything you want. If you accept my offer, that is," Rachel added. She then pointed to the kitchen which was to the left of the living room with a long breakfast bar separating the two rooms. "This is the kitchen," Rachel said, moving towards the room. Quinn followed dutiful behind.

Quinn took in the dark granite counters, stainless steel appliance and cherry wood cabinets. It was perfect.

"All of the appliance are new, never been used," Rachel said, opening the oven then fridge to show Quinn. She moved to open the cabinets, and showed Quinn that they were filled with dishware. "Well, that's the front room. Let's go check out the back."

Quinn wanted to say no that she didn't need any more temptation. Rachel was showing her the perfect place for her and Beth. Quinn took a deep breath and followed Rachel to the back of the basement. Quinn's steps slow and reluctant as she followed.

"The first room is the larger of the two," Rachel told Quinn, switching on the light switch illuminating the room to all its glory. "The bed is new, and the sheets are changed every other week. And no one has ever slept in the bed. It even has the plastic wrap still on it." Rachel looked sheepishly around. She had boxes, dresses and shoe boxes scattered around. "Sorry for the mess."

Quinn took in light olive green walls, light oak furnishings and light green, cerulean blue and white comforter set that laid on the king sized bed as it rested in the center of the room. The thought of having her own bed certainly appealed to her. Above the bed was a large black and white photo of Rachel when she was on Broadway, and across the bed was another plasma screen. The right wall from the bed was where the closet was. Opening it, Quinn saw it was a good size closet. Certainly enough to hold to hold all of her clothes, leaving more than half left.

"The other room is similar but its colors are light pink and light brown. Do you want to have a look, or do you want to skip to the bathroom?" Rachel asked, looking at Quinn.

Quinn nodded, but didn't say anything as she followed Rachel out the room and across the way to the bathroom.

Quinn opened the door to reveal what had to be the nicest bathroom Quinn had been into. The counters were limestone and the floor was this light golden tile that made the bathroom warm and inviting. But it was the shower stall that made Quinn's breathes hitched. It's been so long since she had a descent shower. The shower stall was spacious with a bronze glass backsplash, several shower tiles of the wall that rained down on your body, and the showerhead was big and round. It reminded her of a sunflower.

"The showerhead has five different settings," Rachel said, noticing Quinn's appraisal of the shower. "Same goes for the side tiles. And, my favorite of all things in this bathroom, the whirlpool bathtub has jet settings. Though, I don't take them often, I'm a tub person."

Quinn could see herself coming home after a long day, after taking care Beth, and to be able to soak in the whirlpool with its high jet settings to rewind and relax, letting it work its power on her. Her body practically purred at the thought.

"The whole apartment is beautiful, Rachel," Quinn commented once they made their way back into the living room, letting her eyes drift over the room, taking everything in. "And you're right it is perfect for Beth and I. It has everything I ever wanted to give her, and been looking for in a new house for us."

Rachel sighed, sitting heavily on the couch. She had really thought Quinn was going to say yes. "But you're still saying no, right?"

Quinn shook her head, joining Rachel. "It's not a 'no'. It's an 'I don't know'." Quinn sighed, running a frustrated hand through her golden locks. "Don't you think me moving in is a little wrong, unwise? You're my employer. I work for you, and you want me to live with you. It's a little weird."

"It wouldn't be any more differently than me having a live-in chef, or housekeeper living with me. Plus, I know several people who have their assistants living with them. My friend Kurt has his assistant, Mercedes, living with them, and they're great friends even with their working relationship. We just need to know not to cross any lines."

"And how much are you charging for rent?" Quinn questioned because as much as she thought this was a bad idea, she couldn't ignore the fact that this is one of the best places she saw as a potential place for her and Beth to live in. The only problem would be Beth's schooling, but with the school year ending soon, she would only have to make the commute for about three more months.

Rachel pursed her lips at Quinn's question. She hadn't thought about that. "Uh, nine-hundred a month."

Quinn's hazel eyes were wide and staring at Rachel with shock. "Nine-hundred?!" Quinn exclaimed incredulously.

Rachel worried her bottom lip. "A thousand?" She said in an uncertain voice that poised she was asking a question.

Quinn eyes narrowed as she huffed out a laugh. "You don't know, do you?"

Rachel huffed, stomping her foot. "It was a spur of a moment act when I asked you. It's not like I've ever done this before."

Quinn laughed. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry."

"What about twelve-hundred a month? Does that work for you?"

Quinn nodded, that was right on her budget, but she still felt she was taking advantage of Rachel's offer. She had saw some of the places online with her new MacBook, and what Rachel was offering were close to two thousand and more.

"Twelve-hundred and I pay on some of the bills," Quinn bargained.

Rachel shook her head. "That won't be possible. The bills are paid directly out of my account. I don't even know when the last that I checked my bills. My accountant handles all that."

"Okay, twelve- hundred, I buy all the food and I make breakfast and dinner every night?"

Rachel beamed, holding out her right hand. "It's a deal, Ms. Fabray. Does this mean you're accepting my offer to move in?"

Quinn met Rachel's hand, shivering at the shock she felt at the touch of Rachel's cool hand. "Yes, Rachel. I'm moving in."

TBC


End file.
